Lost in Reality
by emptyvoices
Summary: A Coauthored story by LovelyAmberLight and Emptyvoices : What happens when Reality's Lilly Brooks and the Ninth Doctor and Lost in Time's Sara Thomas and the Time Lord Victorious cross paths after they both crash in the same parallel universe? Utter Chaos. This was a bit of an experiment. Let us know what you think.
1. Out of Sync

The Doctor after being inundated with visions befalling the imminent rise of the Master raced back to the TARDIS with Sara in tow as she struggled to keep up with him in snowdrifts that hindered their progress to the entrance of the time machine. Once inside, the Doctor frantically was working the navigational console entering in the coordinates hoping to prevent the possible rise of an adversary whose madness was considered highly unpredictable.

Sara collapsed into the jump seat in turmoil at the images that pulsated through her mind none of which she had expected to see and certainly were never encapsulated in the show. The pain of being in the Doctor's mind and to have privy to his knowledge of his time on Gallifrey at the very moment when he had run blindly away from the untempered schism which presence boring into her nearly made her sick to her stomach. He had become so jaded over the centuries and she had felt his memories, experiencing them in a blink of an eye but feeling the weight they carried, oppressing her very consciousness. She wondered if after all that time, if whether she too might forgo any instilled rules of time and sought control by any means possible. It was difficult to discern such a lack of reason on her behalf but given her experience, she allowed herself to contemplate the very notion of it.

But she was still trapped with the Time Lord Victorious himself who was desperate to prevent the outcome, convinced he could save Lucy Saxon and prevent the rise of the Master. He barely paid her a second glance as he initiated the dematerialization procedure, directing them back to Earth as she attempted to decide how long she could stand being used as his puppet. It wasn't her fault that she came to this twisted reality and was brought to the TARDIS against her will but the Ood and the presence of that mysterious woman called her to task, imploring her to fix a Time Lord who was convinced wasn't broken.

The very same Time Lord who said it was necessary to lock her in her room, to restrain her to a table in the sickbay as she screamed in protest, begging for another chance. He turned his back on her saying her chances had been exhausted and coldly left her in her miserable state.

Yes, the very same Time Lord who-

A violent tremor shook the TARDIs and she was thrown to the floor. She gasped looking up as all the lights in the interior went dark and the ship gave a violent shake, as it seemed to have met the ground beneath them. The door of the TARDIS was suddenly flung open, and through it, Sara could distinctly make out buildings reminiscent of modern day London. The Doctor was slowly trying to get his bearings but Sara recognized these particular phenomena before when only two years prior, The Doctor, Rose and Mickey landed in a parallel universe. She quickly knew that the TARDIS needed energy from its own universe to travel through time and the Doctor's very ship and subsequent equipment might all duly be affected.

This was an opportunity and Sara knew it. If the TARDIS were malfunctioning and likely wouldn't be able to travel if at all for another twenty-four hours, she could finally disengage herself from the Time Lord Victorious and any responsibility that was given to her as a burden and flee from this entire event. It was a parallel world but regardless, she was from an alternate reality herself and she could hardly maintain an aspect of being picky. She swore she would never look back and considered this opportunity as an act of divine intervention. Maybe God finally heard her prayers, granting her request, giving her the pity she so long deserved.

The Doctor's sonic screwdriver was right on the console and she was not one to take chances in case that device happened to work regardless of dimension it was in. Her memory of that episode was somewhat imprecise but she would not make the same error in Paris and toss it in the trash. As a device, it might even come in handy for her as a means of survival. She quickly got to her feet, seized the screwdriver and fled out the door.

She heard the Doctor furiously yell out her name behind her but she found her legs gaining strength as she continued to make her way further down the streets of London finding herself near Parliament, as she turned the corner, weeding in and out of groups of tourists which offered their own sense of obscurity. He would give chase and although she lost some stamina from her induced coma, adrenaline and fear gave her other advantages that made up for that apparent weakness.

She turned another corner heading alongside the Thames as crowds of onlookers helped her blend into the throng of the crowd. There were such a multitude, she remained still, carefully ensconced in the center, seeing the Doctor from a distance running up the street and looking around frantically. _No, never again._ She swore as she looked down at his sonic screwdriver held firmly in her grasp. _Not after Christina._ _Not after violating my mind._ He didn't spot her and her heart leapt in success as he turned and ran the other direction. _I did it!_ She was nearly unable to believe her success. She had actually managed to elude him. She pivoted on her heel and headed the opposite direction so enthused by her own achievement that she blindly slammed into another girl dropping the screwdriver from her sweaty fingers onto the ground, directly in front of the woman's feet.

Lilly, Rose, and the Doctor sat quietly in the darkness moments after what felt like a crash landing. Lilly recognized the look of the TARDIS from the episode where the Doctor, Rose and Mickey ended up in the alternate universe, Pete's World. Had her presence changed this to? How could her being here have changed when the Doctor ended up in the alternate reality? This wasn't right. Mickey should have been here. The Doctor should have been in his tenth regeneration not his ninth before he came here. What if her presence in this alternate universe made the cybermen here win? Lilly cringed at the thought.

"Where are we," asked Rose.

"No where." Answered the Doctor, leaning heavily on the console. "I've trapped you in some kind of no place. Oblivion."

"How do you mean?" Rose was concerned, scared even. "Can't you just..."

"She's dead," the Doctor cut her off. "The last TARDIS. She's dead." The look of grief on the Doctor's face was enough to melt anyone's heart.

Lilly got up and ran towards the doors. The Doctor's sonic barely provided enough light to see the silhouette of the TARDIS doors.

"No! Lilly, wait!"

But she'd already opened the doors before he could stop her. Instantly, Lilly's eyes reached for the sky, searching for zeppelins. What greeted her gave her more hope than she'd felt in ages. The sky was blue. Really blue. The right kind of blue.

Home, thought Lilly. This could be home. She didn't hesitate to run out of the TARDIS, followed quickly by the Doctor and Rose. He couldn't let her out of his sight. Alternate universe or not, she was still dangerous, and still under his jurisdiction. He had to keep an eye on her.

"I thought you said we were in some kind of no place," questioned Rose. "It's just London."

"Rose," he said, "Look at the sky."

Instantly, she recognized it was the wrong color. "Wha'?"

"Alternate universe," began the Doctor. He explained everything he could about alternate universes to Rose while keeping a watchful eye on Lilly.

She wasn't straying too far, so he let her roam a bit. He hadn't seen her this excited since she'd first stepped foot on his TARDIS. He smiled to himself. It was good to see Lilly so happy again. She spun around like a little kid, and laughed. But his smile didn't last. His beloved TARDIS. Oh! How he missed the touch of her mind in his already.

The TARDIS had landed in some kind of city park. It was huge, and the onslaught of people buzzing around brought life to the area.

When Lilly stopped spinning, she almost fell over from being dizzy. She took in a deep, deep breath, letting all her concerns leave as she exhaled.

"I could be home," she said aloud, turning around.

Suddenly, a young woman bumped into her about her own age. Her face was full of stress, maybe even terror. There were signs of emotional fatigue in her eyes, and in the way she carried herself. Whatever this girl had been through must have been awful.

Lilly took in a sharp breath when she noticed the sonic screwdriver slip from the girl.

"You know the Doctor," stated Lilly. "How did you get into this universe? Wait." Pausing to ask a question she'd instantly become afraid of. "Are you... are you from this universe?"

If this new girl was from this universe, then Lilly couldn't be home. Aliens, the Doctor, the Tardis, none of that existed in Lilly's universe. So, she prayed. She prayed quietly hoping with all the feeling she could give this girl wasn't from this place. Lilly hoped she was just a visitor. She hoped she was home.

"Are you alright?" asked Lilly, finishing off her barrage of questions, finally giving the girl a chance to speak.

"Who are you?" Sara glanced behind her frantically nearly expecting the Doctor to be looming behind her at any moment. _Not there, it's fine._ But this new girl was an oddity and more importantly she knew the Doctor_. What did she ask? The Universe? _ Sara immediately bent down and seized the sonic screwdriver from the ground in panic.

Without waiting for the stranger to answer the question, she glanced over the girl's shoulder as her breath hitched in her throat seeing the Doctor's earlier incarnation. "Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth…" She shook her head desperately. "No, this can't be a paradox. We lost power. Just like he did in the sh-." Furiously, she cut herself off. She had hoped she was in a different reality where at the very least the Doctor might not exist in any form. Her reality was destroyed but if she could garner her freedom in a new universe, no one would be in pursuit of her. Not the Doctor, not UNIT, no one.

But his earlier regeneration was here and what if the TARDIS merely malfunctioned and they only went back in time? The Doctor was still the Doctor regardless of which body he presently occupied and she refused to put herself right back into the position she already previously inhabited.

Shoving the screwdriver into the pocket of her jeans, she looked at the girl despairingly. "Don't tell him about me." Who was she? _Not any companion I've seen on the show…_

"Is this your universe?" The girl asked again. _What?_ Could she have been displaced too?

"No." Sara shook her head slowly. "My universe is gone." She swallowed with difficulty. "He stole me weeks ago, imprisoned me. I only took it so he couldn't track me. " Terror was gripping her as she saw the Ninth version approaching the girl and she thought quickly, taking a step backwards, she gripped the sonic device in her pocket. She had often seen the Doctors brandish their screwdrivers like weapons and she knew that the Tenth Doctor's version of which she held was perhaps one model higher then his. Maybe she could bluff her way out of this apparent threat and the Ninth version of the Doctor would hesitate long enough for her to get away.

"Stay back." True, she didn't give this action much fore thought as she brandished the Tenth Doctor's screwdriver like a weapon pointing it at the Ninth Doctor who looked for all intents stunned. "I know how to use it." She lied.

"Woe." The Ninth Doctor raised his hands in surrender, stepping protectively in front of Rose. "Easy there. Not here to cause trouble."

Lilly was standing off to the side between the Doctor and the girl brandishing the sonic screwdriver. She swallowed nervously, not being familiar with whatever episode they were currently in.

This was never on the show, she thought to herself.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way." He smiled disarmingly at the terrified human. "What's your name then?" he asked jovially.

Sara didn't answer. She didn't know what to do. He was too close. If she ran from him, he'd catch her. She knew it. What if the tenth Doctor remembered this? What if that's why he turned and went the other way? If he remembered, then he'd know where she was. What if he was coming for her right now?

The Ninth Doctor nodded towards the sonic screwdriver in her hand. "Looks a bit like a sonic screwdriver," stated the Doctor. It looked like HIS sonic screwdriver to be precise. How did she get that? He knew his sonic screwdriver wasn't a weapon, but certain settings could cause some harm. "Want to tell me where you found that?"

Sara still didn't answer, and her hand was starting to tremble. The Doctor knew that wasn't a good sign. Humans could do some pretty stupid things when pushed to the point of terror.

"You..." started Lilly. "You said Christopher Eccleston."

Sara glanced at Lilly.

"You said nine."

Sara still didn't answer.

"I think... I think we're from the same place."

"I doubt it," responded Sara.

"David Tennant is ten. Peter Davis was blond. Russell T Davis was brilliant. And Moffat... Well, he had potential."

"Oh, my..." Sara covered her mouth with her free hand for a moment, tears springing to her eyes. "We're from the same place," she said, dropping her hand. "I thought I was the last one left." A tear trickled down her cheek, but she didn't take her eyes off the Doctor, and didn't lower the screwdriver.

"What do you mean 'last one left?'"

"It's all gone. Our homes. Our families. Their stupid time war destroyed everything." Sara looked at Lilly. "The daleks. The reality bomb. It worked. Some places didn't escape."

"No," whispered Lilly, a lump instantly forming in her throat. Everyone? Everyone's gone? She'd never see them again. She'd never be home again. She looked up at the blue sky, the sky that was the right color. That meant this wasn't home. This wasn't her universe.

The Doctor looked on in horror at what he'd just heard. He didn't understand what they were talking about. But the idea of this little human's home and family being destroyed somehow by the time war, by the daleks cause the fires of his rage to burn just a little more. But why was Lilly thinking this had anything to do with her? Was she just humoring the girl? Was she using her uncanny psychic abilities to say what needed to be said to diffuse the situation?

"He's not like the other time lords," said Lilly, trying to get Sara to lower the sonic. Her voice was broken as she tried to hold back her grief. "He's good. I swear he's good. You don't have to be afraid of him. He won't hurt you."

Sara looked at Lilly. "You don't know what he's done," she almost whispered to her.

Lilly stepped a little closer to Sara. "What is it?"

"He's..." she swallowed. "He's been to Mars." Sara's voice was low so she wouldn't cause a paradox, but the Doctor could still hear her.

"Oh my gosh." Lilly looked at Sara instantly grateful she'd met the Doctor when she did. Her thoughts jumped back to the final action on Platform One. If she'd been with the Time Lord Victorious when that happened, would he have stopped? "I'm so, so sorry."

Lilly's words cracked the hard shell Sara was keeping around her emotions, and tears began streaming down her face.

"It's worse than that," Sara whispered to Lilly.

Lilly stepped a little closer, so she could hear.

"My presence changed events. He didn't snap out of it like he did on the sh..." A small sob escaped Sara's throat.

Lilly reached out and put a gentle hand on Sara's shoulder. "He's not like that." She nodded towards Nine. "He'll keep you safe. Even from Tennant." Lilly paused, looking Sara in the eyes. "I swear. I SWEAR you can trust him."

Sara looked at Lilly. She could see her sincerity.

"You're sure?" she whispered, the tiniest bit of hope in her voice.

"Yeah," answered Lilly. But then she paused her thoughts. "Just..." Lilly leaned in close to Sara's ear. "Just don't tell him where we're from. Time Lords can't handle it. The idea of what we understand is beyond them. But he's good. I swear. He'll help. He'll protect you from him. He'll keep you safe." Lilly didn't want the Doctor to think Sara was crazy... or time sensitive. That could cause some problems. And it was obvious Sara already had enough problems of her own.

The Doctor's eyes widened at Lilly's words. She'd no idea he could hear what she'd whispered to Sara.

Lilly stepped back from her ear. She smiled at Sara. And a look of hope washed over Sara's features. If anyone could stop the Doctor, the Doctor could. Maybe, just maybe, this was the answer to Sara's prayers.

"Ok." Sara started to lower her trembling hand, praying with her whole heart this wasn't a mistake. But before she had even lowered the sonic an inch, her wrist was grabbed and twisted. Instantly, unable to keep a hold of it, she dropped the sonic into the tenth Doctor's hand.

"Not very smart, Sara." The tenth Doctor's voice was calm, but cold. He always spoke quietly when he was most angry.

"No!" Sara screamed in protest as she attempted to wrestle herself away from him. How did he find her so quickly? He didn't…

"You said I could trust him." She had believed Lilly but somehow the Tenth Doctor had been led directly to her and just when she thought her misery would cease, she was staring into the furious gaze that she had come to expect from the Time Lord Victorious. It was the very same anger she saw before he bored into her mind sending her into oblivion. He didn't need to say a word. His icy stare left nothing to the imagination as he gripped her arms to the side with one hand raising his other hand to Sara's temple.

"No!" Lilly interceded with a cry of indignation. "What do you think you're doing?" She was struck by the memory of her Doctor's attempt at The Final Action, now replaying in her mind. "You're supposed to be the Doctor." She affirmed. "A hero. You're supposed to be good."

It was wretched what she had just witnessed where the Tenth version emerged just behind Sara yanking her backwards and was now about to go inside the girl's mind.

Her outcry seemed to spare Sara momentarily as the Tenth Doctor glanced up and took a good look at his audience. He was infuriated that he had to take time away from the repairs to his TARDIS having apparently managed to fall through another tear in reality, to chase after his obstinate passenger again. To make matters worse, she had stolen his sonic for the second time and he was unable to make a replacement since his time machine wasn't up to full power. The only benefit to his favor was that his psychic paper still worked and he was able to track her location by the simple use of witnesses in the surrounding area. She hadn't gotten far when he twisted the instrument out of her grip but apparently to his displeasure she already had an advocate.

He looked up and froze seeing his previous incarnation, standing there in a protective stance in front of the companion he thought had been lost forever.

"Rose." He muttered. _Why don't I remember this?_ If he traveled and went to an alternate universe and met his future self, he would surely retain that unless possibly their times lines were out of sync. The girl who had just yelled in protest wasn't familiar to him at all and the way she spoke with her exchange in eye contact between his previous version told him she must be a prior companion.

They were in a different reality. _Another version of me?_ With the considerable billions of dimensions in existence, it was possible but if that was the case, reclaiming his wayward companion might not be his only worry.

"Let's talk this through then." The ninth Doctor approached the tenth attempting to maintain his outwardly calm appearance although was disgusted at what he just witnessed. Lilly had just addressed him as the Doctor. _My future regeneration?_ He hadn't sensed a paradox but the accuracy of Lilly's predictions and her recognition made him increasingly wary. Future version or no, he refused to stand by and watch while this man used his telepathy as a form of abuse on the already terrified human struggling against him.

"There's nothing to talk about." The Tenth Doctor examined his predecessor coldly. "She's my responsibility." He attempted to keep his eyes off Rose. A Rose. _Not my Rose. _He had to keep his mind clear.

"Why? What's the point?" The Ninth Doctor had heard all that Lilly and Sara had exchanged but he needed confirmation.

Lilly was getting nervous as the tension elevated and Sara looked more distraught as the Tenth Doctor tightened his grip. "Doctor," she pleaded, "He's not-" Her voice faded, uncertain of what to say. She had been warned so many times to follow the rules but with the Tenth Doctor standing directly in front of her it was difficult to know what to say. Which rules to heed. There was a reason that the Ninth Doctor had been her favorite but to see the distinction evidenced so clearly in front of her was jarring, even for her.

"Nothing like a good mystery." The Ninth Doctor glanced at Lilly thoughtfully. "Why we're both here." He folded his arms across his chest. "What you were going to do to her."

"You want to know that he was going to bore inside my mind like he's done before?"

Sara demanded.

"Sara-" The Tenth Doctor intoned warningly.

"I just wanted a normal life, not this." She gestured around wildly. "Not to be treated as a weapon or fortune teller." She shook her head. "The best part about my life before is that it didn't have you in it. How disappointed my friends would be that you turned out to be nothing but a borderline sociopath!"

In her desperation she exerted no caution and at the moment, she didn't care about the horrified stares she was getting. She did notice the fury radiating off the Tenth Doctor as he started to once again place his fingers against her temple as Sara frantically tried to shake him off.

"Stop it!" The cry startled him as the Tenth Doctor shifted his eyes to Rose. "You let her go. Let her go right now." She emerged from behind the Ninth Doctor furious at what she was witnessing.

The Tenth Doctor simply froze at Rose's protest and his grip substantially loosened at just hearing the replay of the nightmare he only recently experienced_. Was it really her all along? _

Sara feeling his fingers suddenly go slack took the opportunity broke free of his grasp and ran.

"NO!" she shrieked when she felt the ninth Doctor's arms wrap around her. He pulled her back against his chest in a bear hug. The ninth Doctor had noticed the strange energy pulses echoing off the human, and recognized the danger she might pose to the universe. It tasted like time energy, and... and something else. He couldn't place it. But it felt familiar. Whatever was going on here, his future regeneration might be right. Sara might be a danger to the universe. And if she was anything like Lilly, she couldn't be allowed to wonder off alone.

"It's alright It's alright. He's not going to touch you," soothed the ninth Doctor. "Won't let him. Promise."

Sara stopped struggling against the ninth Doctor's grip. He had her. He was too strong. She couldn't get away. Ten smiled to himself. No matter the regeneration, he was the same man.

"Going to let go now," said Nine gently.

Ten's jaw tensed.

"Think 'bout this," continued Nine before releasing his hold. "If you run, where are you going to go? Stay with me, I'll keep you safe. I swear. Your choice." Nine glared at Ten while he spoke. He felt Sara relax in his arms. "Right then. Here's me...lettin' go."

Nine slowly opened his arms, giving Sara her freedom. She stood next to him not moving, not breathing. Finally, she glanced back at him. He smiled and nodded towards her. She bolted two steps forward only to stop, and look back. Nine hadn't moved. He hadn't come after her. Sara looked over at ten, and instantly moved to stand behind Nine. Ten had moved. He'd taken several steps in her direction. Nine was right. If she ran now, where would she go? Ten would have her before she could even left the park. Her only chance was Nine.

"Maybe we should talk," offered Ten, realizing he'd lost control of the situation, and he really didn't know for sure what was happening here.

"Maybe," answered Nine, giving Ten a hard stare.

Ten sighed. "She's a class ten multidimensional temporal anomaly with artron readings off the scale. She's got huon energy readings like those we've only ever seen in a time capsule's heart, and it's bonded to every cell." Ten paused to let his meaning sink in. "And yes, it's self replicating. But that's not the worst of it. She's emanating a form of energy I can't identify in enormous quantities. Thirty million rels per second."

"Blimey." The ninth Doctor ran a hand over his face before running both of them through his hair. "Class ten?" he verified, glancing back at the little human he'd just taken under his protection.

Ten nodded.

"What's that mean?" asked Rose.

"Means she could destroy the universe," answered Nine, "or worse, if the wrong person got a hold of her." The ninth Doctor looked at Rose briefly before turning his attention back to ten. "How?" he asked.

"Daleks," answered Ten. "I can't tell you the specifics. If we aren't dimensional duplicates of each other..."

"Could cause a paradox," finished Nine. Both Doctor's knew it had been a long standing theory taught at the Academy that Time Lords were transdimensional beings. It didn't matter how many other universes existed, there shouldn't be copies of them, of any Time Lords. But then, on occasion, both Doctors knew they'd proven Gallifrey's top scientists wrong.

"I take it you fell through a crack in the universe?" asked Ten.

"Tardis is dead." Nine grimaced, holding back his grief. "S'pose you already know that though. Take it I'm stuck here. How long 'till I'm you."

"Eh. It's been a couple of centuries since I wore leather," answered Ten. "But I wasn't trapped here. I don't even remember this. I certainly don't remember you," he said, looking at Lilly. "What's your name?"

"Lilly Brooks," she answered. "Why wouldn't he remember me?" she asked Nine.

"Time lines might be out of sync," he answered.

"Oh, ok."

"Wait," interjected Ten, "How do you understand that?"

"She's time sensitive," answered Nine. He switched over to Gallifreyan before continuing. "She's my ward. Don't scare her off," he ordered the older Doctor.

"Right," answered Ten, also speaking his native tongue. "Seems like we both have wards. Good word choice by the way. Better than prisoner I suppose."

Sara listened to the exchange between the two Doctors. When they'd switched over to Gallifreyan, the words sounded... familiar. She could almost make out what they were saying but not quite.

"S'pose that's all in how you treat them," answered Nine.

"S'pose." Ten looked at Nine, deciding on what to tell him. He had to be careful with this. He certainly didn't want to erase himself, especially now that he'd finally figured out the laws of time were his. He could finally do what he wanted. What he wanted. Ten's eyes found Rose. He gazed at her longingly. She was beautiful. Even with his perfect memory, there was nothing compared to seeing Rose in person.

Nine cleared his throat, bringing ten back to the present.

"Rose, why don't you take Sara back to the TARDIS," suggested Nine, giving her his sonic for light. He didn't like how Ten was looking at Rose. "Looks like you could use a good meal," he commented to Sara. Why hadn't his future self at least been feeding her properly? She looked like she'd been starving. Nine made a mental note not to ever let himself do that to Sara in his future.

"C'mon," said Rose to Sara. "Got loads of good stuff to eat. An'..." Rose glanced at Sara's torn and tattered clothes. She looked like she'd been dragged across a cheese grater. "An' there's a huge wardrobe room where you can wear whatever you like."

Sara hesitated for a second. Did she really want to get back into a TARDIS? Did she want to climb back into the prison she'd fought so hard to leave? What if this was a trick? What if Nine was planning on imprisoning her the same way Ten had?

"It's ok," Lilly spoke up when she saw Sara's hesitation. "There's a difference between the Doctor and the Time Lord Victorious. Remember?" Lilly was referring to the show.

Ten started at Lilly's words. How could she possibly know that name? Just how powerful was she? And why didn't he remember her? Could she be altering his time lines? If she was rewriting his history somehow, he might have to deal with her too. He needed more information. He needed to know where she came from, how long she'd been traveling with his past self, and if there were any differences to how he remembered things. Still, if by some miracle this ninth regeneration was only a dimensional duplicate, maybe he could get Rose to... _No. Don't go there,_ he told himself. If it turned out he wasn't a dimensional duplicate, it would be too tempting to alter his own past, and he certainly didn't want to lose what he had with Rose.

When Lilly spoke about the difference between the Doctor and the Time Lord Victorious, Sara's breath hitched, understanding Lilly's meaning. She understood. And better yet someone understood her, believed her, listened. She had always considered herself a strong person. She spoke her mind, and did what she knew was right whether or not others agreed with her. But right here, right now, she was so tired, so beaten, it was all she could do not to break down at the idea of being somewhere safe, somewhere where she could have some control over her own life again.

"Yeah," she answered Lilly. "Big difference." Sara gave the tenth Doctor a glare before heading towards the TARDIS with Rose.

Ten didn't object to Sara leaving. If she was in a TARDIS, any TARDIS, the universe would be safe.

"You went to Mars," stated Lilly. "Then you decided to..."

"Lilly." The message was clear. Ninth Doctor was warning her not to talk about the future.

"But he..."

"Is a Time Lord," Nine finished. "Knows what he can share, and what he can't. You're still learning. So, hush."

"And what about what he was doing to Sara?"

"'M sure I'll have my reasons," he answered his ward. At least I'd better, he told himself. Touching someone's mind without consent was never to be taken lightly.

"The TARDIS isn't dead," Ten told Nine when Rose disappeared from view. "I know how to fix her." Maybe he could get a few answers while helping himself get back to the proper universe.

"Had his reasons." Lilly muttered to herself quietly. "From the Time Lord Victorious. That's rich."

Both Time Lords could hear her despite the fact that her voice was barely more then a whisper but Ten looked at her sharply. His gaze was cold and nothing about him reminded her of the man who fell in love with Rose, sacrificing his own happiness to give her the fantastic life Lilly even herself had promised to Rose. It was true that Nine was her favorite but Ten for the most part still tried to do what was right. Seeing this man who was now was examining her with a calculating stare caused her to cringe.

"Lilly Brooks." Ten said directly to her. "A bit rude to talk like I'm not here."

Her heard me? She recoiled pondering briefly whether Nine heard her before when she whispered reassurances to Sara, making comments about their mutual universe and she silently cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Of course, Nine might have been attempting to merely be respectful of her privacy but this was if nothing else a considerable embarrassment after her promise to the Face of Boe to observe the rules and not let the Doctor give credence to the belief that she didn't believe that this reality was real. _Please don't let my Doctor be mad._

She remained silent, refusing to rise to the bait as he continued. "Tell me Lilly, how long have you been his ward?" He was curious to see if there was a correlation to the arrival of Sara in his universe and the arrival of Lilly in the past. If the origins of their arrival could be ascertained, his study of Sara could have new conclusions and in fact-

_His ward? _Lilly thought. Her Doctor never referred to her as that.

"She's time sensitive." Nine repeated firmly. "Not a multi dimensional temporal anomaly. No void matter. First thing I checked."

The Tenth Doctor merely smiled coldly. "Then you wouldn't mind if I confirmed that myself." Lilly found herself taking a step backwards as she felt Nine putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"That's not happening. She's my ward. Under my protection." Nine stated firmly.

"And in turn you have mine."

"Your prisoner I s'pose by the looks of her." Folding his arms across his chest. "Slip your mind that humans needed to eat? Make a practice of invading her mind?"

The conversation altered back in to Gallifreyian to Lilly's frustration, as she couldn't understand a word.

"She did that to herself. Kept trying to run away. I gave her a chance and she wouldn't listen." The tenth Doctor seemed to roll his eyes. "She wanted a normal life. Had to lock her inside. She wouldn't stay on her own."

"Locked her inside." The Ninth Doctor repeated. "The TARDIS?"

"Couldn't trust her with that. She knew how to open the door. I sealed her inside her room until she tried to kill herself."

Kill herself? He couldn't fathom what had terrified this girl so much that she gave up on her will to live. Nothing infuriated him more then to see someone so obviously suffering and even if Sara was a danger to the universe, she could still be instructed, supported and with Lilly and Rose right there, eventually she might find herself no longer so fearful. He recognized the long-term effects of shock in humans as clear as day. If Sara had a death wish, even the Final Action might be accounted as some relief to her in comparison to what she must have endured.

_Are we from the same time stream?_ Meeting dimensional duplicates and crossing time streams was a dangerous proposition. He wouldn't give up Lilly but he might be able to concede halfway. "Help me fix the TARDIS, you'll get copies of her readings."

"It's been two hundred years and my equipment is far more advanced then yours." Ten turned to Lilly offering her a cold smile, switching to English. "Or I can go into her mind." As he started to advance on her. "Won't hurt a bit, I promise."

Lilly looked at him in disgust. "Liar."

Nine stepped in front of Lilly glaring at Ten. "Consider that a bit of a threat, me."

"Then I s'pose you won't be leaving." He looked satisfied that he'd won the argument.

Nine shrugged. "If the TARDIS isn't dead, I'll find it."

"I expect Sara to be returned to me." Ten's voice was flat.

"No." Nine said adamantly. "She's in shock. Needs to feel safe. A class ten anomaly, volatile human. Don't s'pose you tell me why you are going inside her mind without consent?"

"Suppose you change your mind about letting me examine her?" Ten looked from Lilly to Nine. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "You can be there with her. Who can you trust better then yourself? Would get you home faster."

"No!" Lilly protested. "I don't want him inside my head."

"Superficial scans only." He smiled and Lilly felt a distinct chill. "Going into your mind isn't necessary." _Not at the moment anyway._ If Sara and Lilly were both from the same universe, there would be traces. His earlier counterpart said Lilly had no trace of void matter. Unusual but not unheard of. The Reality Bomb had caused the walls between realities to substantially weaken; in some the void had been non-existent. From the Ood, he had heard that time was bleeding into each other which allowed that race to communicate with him and with Sara.

Her ability to predict what was to come down to the detail that the Master was returning using the basis of a television show for the nature of her insight was startling. His prior regeneration called Lilly 'time sensitive' which was incredibly rare but she also seemed to know his future and the intricate workings of time.

"Tell me Lilly," He said making certain to carefully calculate the girl's expression. "Do you think you're time sensitive?" He noted her wince at that expression. "Because Sara is under the impression she saw my life, my future on the tele. You two seem to have so much in common."

"Sara knows the future?" Nine inquired, shaking his head in doubt at the odds of two time sensitive's now falling under his purview. Still, he made a promise and he intended to keep it. It was clear, at least to him, that Sara was severely traumatized and had been poorly treated. He had made his own mistakes with Lilly and she had once been utterly reduced in her fear from his errors but Lilly hadn't contemplated taking her own life and he silently swore to never allow himself to get that far.

"She knows our future, supposedly." Ten stated, glancing at Lilly. "Is that what you've seen Lilly?" He asked flatly. "My future? Do you know me by another name?"

"I don't think I have to tell you a thing." Anxiety filled her tone but Ten could tell by her very inflections that he hit way too close to home. She turned to Nine feeling hesitant since her knowledge of fixing the TARDIS came from another year into the series. Will he be angry? She would merely offer a small piece of the information and then it would be his choice whether to pursue it.

"I may know how to fix the TARDIS," She said nervously. He turned to her looking at her seriously. "But your rules, if you want to know. I've seen it." She gestured to Ten. "We wouldn't need him."

Ten stared at Lilly. She was definitely something unusual and he had to regain control of the situation that was beginning to spiral. If she already knew the answer of how to fix the TARDIS, then this did not bode well for him. He didn't struggle for so long to conquer time itself to have this little human try and spoil it. If he could get his hands on both Lilly and Sara, then his timeline would be preserved and he could keep both girls under his firm control. As far as he was concerned, he predecessor was far too lax with Lilly. What happened to the 'no second chances'? Instead he was acting the part of a teacher to a human with dangerous knowledge of their future.

"How about this?" Ten offered attempting to instill a more placid tone. "I'll come to your TARDIS and show you how to fix her, you show me the results of your scans and we can discuss further options. I know how to avoid a paradox. Your ward does not."

Lilly didn't trust him and she looked at Nine who was observing Ten carefully while rubbing his jaw. It was clear he fully didn't either but her Doctor could never turn down a mystery when presented with one. He possibly wanted to know more about the ward he was inheriting and make more calculations regarding Ten.

"Doctor-" She attempted to protest.

"No." He said gently but firmly. "Has a point." He looked directly at Lilly hoping she would understand his meaning. "There is too much we don't know." He sighed. "Wouldn't want to risk it."

"But-"

"Lilly, go back to the TARDIS. Take Sara and Rose away from the console room. Wouldn't want them there." He paused glancing at Ten. "Will speak to you when we're done."

She turned on her heel in frustration, wanting so badly to warn her Doctor of this possible wretched version of himself. It made her sick in her heart to look at him, nearly like someone who vandalized a beautiful work of art. Then, that was only a possible future. She could tell herself that. She didn't know the circumstances of what happened with Sara to cause the Time Lord Victorious not to pull back. The one good thing was that she would have someone to confer with, relate all her knowledge to and express her frustration with the rules.

Although, Sara would need a chance to recover from whatever that particular Time Lord put her through but somewhere inside, Lilly knew that she was a strong person. She had to be to talk to the Time Lord Victorious himself in such a way. It was admirable and Sara appeared almost fearless at that point. No. She wasn't broken yet. She just needed a chance to be made to feel safe.

Yet, she could feel Ten's eyes burning into her back and she glanced behind her to meet his cold stare and she quietly pondered whether Nine could protect them all from his wrath. She hated placing any doubt on her Doctor so she tried to shake off her trepidation. No, her Doctor was good and he would know better then to allow himself to be manipulated. She headed into the TARDIS. Besides, it was four against one. That just had to be enough. Maybe with a little luck Ten might even see right now that he had gone too far.

When Lilly entered the TARDIS the doors swung open without the use of a key. It was unnerving how unprotected the Tardis was right now. Anyone could just walk in.

"Hi." It was Rose. She and Sara were sitting on the jump seat, eating from a platter of fruit. The sonic screwdriver was lighting the area.

"Doctor says to stay out of the console room. He's bringing Tennant in."

"What?!" Sara stood up. "Why?!"

"Tennant?" asked Rose.

"The future Doctor," Lilly answered Rose. "He's going to help the Doctor fix the Tardis. Then we'll get out of here." Lilly looked seriously at Sara. "Ten wanted you back. Nine said no. So, don't worry. He'll take care of you."

Sara let out a breath in relief.

"What do you mean 'Ten and Nine?'" asked Rose.

Sara and Lilly shared a look.

"When the Doctor is about to die..." Lilly started.

"Don't," said Sara. "You'll create a paradox."

"No, it's fine," explained Lilly. "The walls between universes insulate against paradoxes. If the information comes from another universe, it can't create a paradox."

"Did your Doctor tell you that?" asked Sara, wondering why her Doctor wouldn't have shared that information with her.

"No. He's always telling me to shut up about future events," answered Lilly. She smiled. "He's afraid I'll create a paradox, but he's wrong. The Face of Boe told me about how the walls of universes insulate. He said it's safe. So, don't worry about it. Just don't tell the Doctor that. He won't believe you." Lilly looked at Rose. "Please don't tell him I said any of this. I might not believe his rules, but I still follow them. Telling him would just stress him out. Ok?"

Rose frowned, and didn't answer.

"But... but what if that universe has been destroyed?" asked Sara. "If it's gone, then the walls are gone too. Right?"

A chill went through Lilly. What if... what if Sara was right? What if all this time Lilly had been risking the universe? What if the Face of Boe hadn't known? What if he didn't know about her universe dying? Or what if her universe died after the Face of Boe told her it was safe? Would that have rewritten what he knew somehow?

"I... I came here just before the 50th," said Lilly. "Do you know what I mean?" she asked Sara, referring to the 50th episode of 'Doctor Who.'

"Yeah, I get it."

"What about you?" Lilly asked.

"It was a few months after," she answered. "Did you see his name, the Doctor's name, scratched into a wall in the Tower of London before you came?"

"No. I was camping with friends. One minute I was hiking up a trail, and the next minute I was here. Well, not here. I was in that pizzeria watching that plastic Mickey and Rose. He ended up chasing us, and I got on the Tardis."

"Blimey," said Rose. "Feelin' a bit out of the loop here."

"Sorry," Lilly apologized.

"You were watching me?" asked Rose

"Yeah," answered Lilly. "I'd sort of seen you before. So, when I saw you sitting there... It's not like I was being creepy or anything. It just happened."

"I was touring London with my best friend," explained Sara. She frowned, thinking of what she'd left behind. "One minute I was touring the Tower of London, and the next minute I was in the Tower of London in his universe which happens to be UNIT headquarters by the way. I didn't even know until..." Sara looked at the ground. Memories of being so confused, of thinking it was all a dream came flooding back to her.

"You said something about the Doctor's name. You asked if I saw it." Lilly smiled. Wow. If there was one thing she'd always wanted to know, it was the Doctor's name. "Do you ACTUALLY know the Doctor's name?" she asked like the fan girl she was.

Sara was quiet for a minute. She wasn't happy with her Doctor right now. But that didn't mean she wanted to reveal anything he considered so private.

"I won't ask what it is," said Lilly. "But do you know it?"

One side of Sara's mouth lifted into a slight grin, but she didn't say anything.

"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! That. Is. So. Cool."

"Don't... don't tell him," asked Sara. "I'm not supposed to have it. It was an accident. And... and I'll never, NEVER tell anyone what it is."

"So, the Doctor isn't really his name?" ask Rose. "That sneaky..."

"No. No. The Doctor is his name," explained Lilly. "He just has another one that he doesn't share with anyone. I... I think it's like... You have to be a Time Lord or something before you can know it."

"I thought you just had to be married to him," said Sara.

"No. The Rani knew his name. Remember? From 'Classic Who.'"

Sara thought about the episode when eleven regenerated into twelve. The Time Lords on Gallifrey were asking for the Doctor's name. They already knew what it was. They just needed him to give it as a sign it was safe for Gallifrey to come back through the crack. So, maybe Lilly was right. Maybe only Time Lords were allowed to know Time Lord names. Even River was part Time Lord.

The girls stopped talking when they heard the Time Lords approaching. They were speaking Gallifreyan, and walking slowly, giving the girls plenty of warning to clear the area.

Rose handed Lilly the sonic screwdriver. She had a flashlight in her room, and she was sure she could find it easily enough.

"C'mon," said Rose. "Doctor's orders." She smiled at her pun, and looked at the empty platter in her hands. "Why don't you take Sara to the Wardrobe room, and I'll take this back to the galley," she said not waiting for an answer.

Ten smiled to himself when he heard Rose's comment from several feet away from the TARDIS. "Doctor's orders." She was such a good companion.

"I guess we don't have to worry about paradoxes now," said Lilly. "I think she left us alone on purpose. She's really intuitive. And smart. She's really, really smart. I hope we didn't hurt her feelings, making her feel left out."

"That's the actual... That's the real Rose Tyler," commented Sara as the two girls stepped into a hallway just off the console room.

"Defender of the Earth," said Lilly.

"Dimensional explorer," said Sara.

"The Doctor's one true love," added Lilly in a sing-song voice, smiling at their game.

"The big ba..."

"OI!" shouted Ten from the console room.

Sara jumped, and Lilly inhaled quickly.

"Shut it!" he ordered. "I don't need to have to fix a paradox because the two of you couldn't keep your mouths shut."

"Sorry," said Lilly quietly under her breath.

"Don't apologize to him," said Sara. "He doesn't deserve it."

"What's he done?" asked Lilly.

Sara didn't answer. She was thinking. "If you don't already know, I don't think I can tell you," she finally answered. "It's one thing to share what we know with each other because of..." She paused looking back towards the console room, and wondered how much the Time Lords could hear. "...because of who we are," she finished. "But if I tell you something now that your here, aren't you part of events now. Could that cause a paradox?"

Lilly frowned. "I don't know. I don't know enough about how time works. And we can't ask the Doctor. I know he'd explain it if we asked him. But how do we ask without revealing... you know."

"Better to err on the side of caution," said Sara.

"Yeah."

They finally found the wardrobe room, and stepped in. The area was dark with only the sonic to light the enormous cavern-like room.

"The audio filing program probably went down with the power, but I think simple jeans and tops your size should be this way." Lilly began leading Sara towards the clothes.

"I've hardly ever seen this room," said Sara. "The TARDIS just puts clothes in my closet. I couldn't even choose what to wear." Sara hadn't questioned the Doctor about getting to pick her own clothes before he'd locked her up. Had she gotten used to things being so bad? Had she started accepting his control over her? She hadn't even thought about it. She tightened her jaw at the idea.

"Oh, this room is better than shopping back home." Lilly frowned. Home. "Are you sure it's gone? Our universe. Are you sure?"

"Yeah," answered Sara. "I'm sorry."

Lilly's bottom lip began to quiver, and she swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"You've got to be wrong. Our universe can't be gone. How could..."

"Remember the reality bomb?" asked Sara.

"Yeah."

"Remember how Pete's world was ahead of the Doctor's universe? How the stars started disappearing there first?" she continued.

Lilly nodded.

"Well, some universes were even further ahead than Pete's world. Some universes were completely erased before the Doctor-Donna stopped the reality bomb."

Sara took a deep breath. She'd had quite a while to get used to the idea of her universe being gone. And she remembered her initial reaction. She didn't want Lilly to suffer the way she did. The way the Doctor blurted it out like it was something she should instantly accept made it so much harder to deal with. Sara reached out and took Lilly's hands. She looked the only other survivor of their world directly in the eyes. "Our world was running ahead. The reality bomb destroy..."

"No!" shouted Lilly. She stepped back, taking her hands from Sara. "No. You're wrong. You have to be wrong." Lilly turned around so she didn't have to look at Sara. "No. Nonononono," she repeated under her breath. She turned back to Sara, angry at her for... for... Lilly didn't know why she was angry with her. But she was. She was furious. "Please," Lilly begged. "It has to be a mistake. Tell me it's just a mistake."

"I'm sorry," answered Sara, her own grief overtaking her.

"My family. My friends. My little brother. My... My..." Lilly stomped her foot. "NO!" she screamed a long scream, dropping to her knees. All the heartache and desperation she'd felt since she came to this universe was contained in that one word.

Sara dropped to her knees in front of Lilly, tears cascading down her cheeks. They wrapped their arms around each other. And the two survivors began to sob on each other's shoulders.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. They didn't even have Time Lords in the real universe. They didn't have daleks. It was just a TV show. It wasn't real. It wasn't.

Sara held onto Lilly, giving her the comfort she was denied when she'd learned the fate of everyone she'd ever cared about. She'd wanted to die, to join her family, or cease to exist. What if she'd succeeded in jumping off that bridge? What if she'd died of dehydration on the TARDIS? Who would Lilly have now? She would have been completely alone. No one else would understand what it was like to know the future of the universe because of a low budget SciFi show. Sara and Lilly only had each other. In the whole great big universe, they only had each other. At that moment Sara was grateful the Doctor saved her life. She was grateful to be here now. After being locked up in solitary confinement, ALONE, for so long, she couldn't bear the idea of condemning another person to that fate, to leave another soul so completely alone in the universe. Never.

"Are you alright," asked Sara when Lilly let go to sit back on her heals.

"No." Lilly frowned. "I don't think anyone could be alright after..."

"Yeah," Sara agreed. "At least we have each other."

Lilly nodded, and stood up. Sara followed suit. And Lilly led her to the clothes they'd come in for.

"Oi," called out Rose. She'd just come into the wardrobe room. "You two still in here?"

"Up on the second level," answered Lilly.

"Doctor wants the sonic," she called out.

"Ok," answered Lilly. "I'll take it to him."

Rose reached the level Sara and Lilly were on, and handed Lilly a flashlight, keeping another for herself.

"You sure," asked Rose when she noticed Lilly had been crying. "What's wrong?"

"We're from the same place," answered Lilly. "Sara... She... Someone I knew died." She couldn't explain the rest, not yet. It was too much.

"I'm sorry." Rose gave Lilly's upper arm a squeeze. "I... I'll take him the sonic."

"No," answered Lilly. "I need to talk to him."

"Thanks," Rose added. "The other Doctor gives me the creeps."

"At least he's got great hair," said Sara.

Sara smiled at Lilly, sharing an inside joke. Lilly understood and smiled back.

"S'pose."

Lilly's smile grew even bigger.

"What are you two on about?" asked Rose, noticing the looks they were giving each other. She sounded a little like Jackie when she said that. "Go on," Rose ordered Lilly with a smile after a moment of silence. "He needs that sonic."

Rose stayed with Sara, while Lilly headed to the console room.

When Lilly reach the console room she found both Doctors buried in wiring and equipment in an large opening where they'd removed several pieces of grating. It seemed like they were having to removed layers to get to the crystal like thing she remembered from the parallel universe episode. It was obviously a lot more work than what they'd shown on the show. Ten's jacket was thrown over the closest bench right next to Nine's.

"Sonic," said Lilly, squatting next to the opening.

Nine poked his head up.

"Thanks." He took the sonic, and went right back to work.

"Can I stay," asked Lilly. There was no answer for a minute.

"S'pose," he finally said.

She sat cross-legged next to the opening.

"What you want to stay for?"

"I don't know," she answered. "No reason, I guess. Two Doctors. It's kind of cool."

"Yeah, that's it," said Ten sarcastically. "Just spit it out Lilly. We can tell when you're lying."

"I'm not lying," she started, offended. "I just..." She paused. Was she lying? No. "I just hadn't decided if I wanted to ask yet." Wow. It was amazing all the little things she was learning about the Doctor from Ten. First she learns the Doctor has some kind of super hearing. And now she learned the Doctor can tell... can tell what? Oh, who knows?

"Ask what?" asked the ninth Doctor.

"Why does he call me your ward?" asked Lilly.

That wasn't what she was thinking about asking. But it was something she wanted to know. What Lilly wanted was to ask Ten about the reality bomb. She wanted to ask about her universe. She wanted to know for sure if she and Sara were from the same place, if her universe was really gone. She knew the Time Lord Victorious was a little volatile, but he was still the Doctor. Right? He'd mentioned scanning her earlier. Maybe she'd agree to something like that, if... if what? If her Doctor thought it was ok? Lilly didn't know the ifs about being scanned. For now, she just wanted to ask about the reality bomb. But she couldn't ask about it when Nine was there.

"Just means someone under my protection."

Ten snickered. And Nine gave him a look.

"So, are all your companions your wards?" she asked. "Because I've got to say, that doesn't sound right." Lilly didn't remember the Doctor calling any of his companions his wards on the show. Well, maybe Susan. But she was his granddaughter. She was under age, and he was her guardian.

The ninth Doctor didn't want to do this. He didn't know how Lilly would take it. And he certainly didn't want any trouble. But they had a deal, and she'd asked him outright.

"Thanks a lot," Nine muttered to Ten in Gallifreyan before poking his head out of the grating to look at Lilly. He sighed. "Gallifreyan law requires all time sensitive creatures to be... taken care of. Protected."

"Monitored," added Ten. "Imprisoned."

Lilly's eyes widened.

"Shut it," Nine ordered Ten in their native tongue.

Ten giggled in response. "There's trouble."

"So, what? You think you're my guardian or something? Like I'm a kid?"

Nine didn't answer. He tightened his jaw, thinking of Ten not keeping his mouth shut.

"Lilly. Can we discuss domestics later?" he glanced at Ten. "Bit busy."

"That's why you were so relieved when I said I'd come with you," continued Lilly. "You were afraid you were going to be stuck on Earth for the rest of my life."

"Yup."

"What?!" Ten poked his head out of the grating. "You're not serious," he asked Nine. "You weren't seriously going to choose to spend the next century stuck in one time and place to babysit a time sensitive, were you?"

Nine gave Ten a look, raising his eyebrows.

"But... But." Ten looked exasperated.

"If Sara wants to stay on Earth, would you stay for her," asked Lilly.

Nine's head disappeared under the grating.

"Might do, yeah."

"You can't," said Ten. "The paradox would be..." He'd never travel with Rose. All the places they'd gone, all the people they'd met, none of it would have happened. The daleks on the gamestation. If Rose wasn't with him, he die there. He would never travel with Martha or Donna or... Donna. If he never traveled with Donna, he never would have been able to stop the reality bomb. The daleks would destroy the universe before he even knew there was a problem. Ten swallowed at the thought. In the space of less than a nano second Ten decided. He had to get Sara back. He needed to get Sara and Lilly away from his past self. If he didn't, there wouldn't be anyone left. And once he had them under his control, he would make sure neither one of them could cause any trouble ever again.

"Time can be rewritten," answered Nine.

"No, he's right," said Lilly. "If you stop traveling, the universe dies."

Ten looked at Lilly in surprise.

"Thought you said if I didn't travel with Rose the universe dies. You changing what you said now?"

"It's both. That's why I said yes to traveling with you. I was afraid you would stay on Earth, if I said no. And the survival of the universe is more important than what one person wants."

Ten smiled quietly to himself. Lilly Brooks. She's quite the human. Maybe he could use her to his advantage.

"There," Ten said, removing the final grating to expose the necessary power cell.

"That is a little bit of your reality tucked away-" He saw Lilly in his peripheral vision mimicking his statement word for word. He had caught Sara in the exact same behavior and he shook his head in frustration. He would be doing his predecessor a favor by taking custody of both girls and he would ensure they wouldn't step out of line this time.

"If you already know what I'm going to say, Lilly, don't hold back." He said, staring at her fixedly. She let out a gasp and stepped back. "I'm sure we're dying to know."

Lilly broke off eye contact having already seen Ten's reckless disregard of Sara's consent when it came to using telepathy and she knew certain commands could be given with just the power of his gaze. She wouldn't chance having Nine inside her head and he was someone she trusted, considered a friend so there was no chance she would let the Time Lord Victorious roam freely in her mind. How did he get this way?

Nine let out a sigh, examining his counterpart. He wanted nothing more then to firmly believe that this was a dimensional duplicate and not his future self. Timelines being out of sync was plausible but his next regeneration should have remembered the event, remembered Lilly and he seemed utterly oblivious to her presence on board.

If that was the case, he felt more justified in his promise of removing Sara from his care since obviously this version of him equated ward with the word prisoner.

He didn't like the way that Ten was now staring at Lilly who was backing away from him. "Lilly, check on the others." He advised. "See how they're holding up."

He blew on the power cell, expending ten years of his regeneration cycle, relieved to see the effect. His TARDIS was still holding on, clinging to life. When he thought he lost her, a massive part of him felt like he died inside.

"Wait." Ten said flatly still staring at Lilly. "You promised I could see her scans."

"Will do." Nine replied. "She doesn't need to be there for that."

"My decision to make." Ten shook his head. "I may have questions that only she can answer."

Nine glanced at Lilly while rubbing his jaw. He didn't like this at all but this version had helped repair his ship. He didn't understand what Ten's interest would be in the medical data he collected when she first came on board. He had gone over the details himself thoroughly. No void particles, no unusual synaptic patterns or brain activity. Emotionally disoriented but that was bound to occur especially among such rare beings as time sensitive's, especially human time sensitive's.

"Don't know what you expect-" Nine started to say before Lilly interrupted. "It's ok. I'll answer questions." She looked briefly at Ten. "If I can." _If it doesn't break the rules._ Ten smiled but there was no warmth in his expression. She couldn't help but express her curiosity and maybe this distorted version could prove that she was from another reality.

It grieved her to her very core that everything she knew might have been obliterated if Sara was right. She wondered if there was a chance that Sara might have come from just a parallel reality of hers where Dr. Who existed as a fictional show in both universes. She could be grasping at straws but of the billions of realities out there, wasn't it possible? The alternative was devastating and she swallowed thickly considering that she would never see her family again.

But if Ten could prove she was from another universe, then she wouldn't have to continue the pretense of being time sensitive or psychic in front of the Doctor.

"You sure?" Nine asked her and she nodded. "He did us a favor and we should return it." She said.

"Will just run to the Infirmary, then." Nine said looking at Ten who had his arms folded across his chest and was leaning against the jump seat near to the exit. He hoped he wasn't about to make a mistake.

He gestured for Lilly to follow him as he took to the infirmary in a sprint lighting the way with his sonic.

Lilly was about to follow him as she watched Nine run into the darkened corridor and gasped as Ten suddenly gripped her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"So, Lilly Brooks," He intoned, staring her down with his utterly cold gaze. "What aren't you telling us?" Lilly froze at first and then shook her head in denial. "Liar. Our bad habits have rubbed off on you haven't they?" He seized her other shoulder. "But you can tell me. I for one am all ears."

"Doc-!" She started to cry out when Ten's hand moved swiftly to her temple and before she could pull away, she heard the command _sleep_ echo in her mind. Lilly collapsed immediately and Ten was quick to scoop the girl up, making haste out the door to his own TARDIS. He didn't have Sara back yet but one prize at a time. Knowing her and how devoted she was to Christina, she would likely come after Lilly herself leaving him with less of a hassle in dealing with his counterpart. Nine would eventually see reason. He was the older of the two and the girls were rightfully his responsibility. His wards. He liked that term. He used it in the 1850's as a pretext to describe his relationship to Sara to Jackson Lake in reference to Victorian etiquette but he had to admit that ward had a less unsavory tone then prisoner. Semantics. But that's all it ever was when dealing with humans.

**A/N: This is complete Alternate Universe what might have been so the events will not be engrained into our actual stories. Take it as a parallel universe what might have occurred if this were to happen. Hope you enjoy it even if it is a bit chaotic. Let us know what you think of our experiment. As I said, we each took turns in writing, so therefore co-authored the story and often we don't know where it's going ourselves Again co-written by me and LovelyAmberLight**


	2. Counter Strike

**Warning: If you have not read Chapter 14 of LovelyAmberLight Reality, STOP, read it first, and then come back and read this. You have been duly warned. We will be very distressed if you haven't for this has a spoiler from that chapter.**

Nine rushed back into the console room with the details of the scans he took of Lilly only to find the area empty. He was disturbed that she hadn't followed his indication to follow him into the hallway but Lilly was so naturally curious and he had only been gone a matter of minutes. Did she get lost in the hallway? Lilly would know the ship by now but then it was utterly dark and if he had the habit of going rather quickly in pace that she might have strayed behind.

He searched the corridor finding nothing. Was she with Sara and Rose? He pondered the situation for a moment. He immediately went looking for them finding the girls still in the wardrobe room.

"You two," He called out grimacing as Sara tensed. What did he do to her? He hoped that this future incarnation was a dimensional duplicate. He couldn't imagine treating someone in such a way where his mere presence brought about such a traumatic response. When his infirmary was fully functional, he would do a proper examination to see exactly what he was dealing with. He relegated his voice to a softer tone. "Either of you seen Lilly?"

Sara looked at Nine alarmed. "She's not with you?" She shook her head frantically. "She said she was going to give you your sonic." Her mind started to churn.

"Just relax." Nine said. "She did. Just can't find her."

"What d'you mean?" Rose asked. "She's still in the TARDIS, yeah?"

Sara could see the tension on his face. _If he's here then where's_- "Where's Ten. Where's the other Doctor?" She demanded and from his expression, she suddenly knew. "He's gone isn't he?" Her heart began to pound. "He took her."

"What?" Nine's face seemed to darken at the notion. "Told him she's my responsibility. He wouldn't-"

"He would!" Sara exclaimed. "He kidnapped me. Chased me down in London, blamed me for Christina's death, for Ade-" She cut herself off, not wanting to cause a paradox or mess up this Doctor's timeline. He still had a chance to make it right as far as she was concerned. "He wrestled me into the dirt and forced his way into my mind. It wasn't the only time. " She swallowed. "You don't know him, what he's become." A stray tear trickled down her face.

"We'll just have to get her back then, won't we?" Nine said gently as Rose put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"No." Sara knew what she had to do and it devastated her but she wouldn't allow for Lilly to suffer. She had already seen one friend die. She would give up any notions of freedom before seeing that happen again. "I'll turn myself in." Her hands trembled. "He'll let her go. "

"Not happening." Nine was adamant. "Will think of something. Always do."

"This is my mess." Sara closed her eyes attempting to summon the remnants of her courage. "I need to clean it up."

Nine was readily amazed to see a human willing to make a sacrifice for someone she only just met. It was moments like these that reasserted his faith in the human race when they exhibited genuine kindness, so much like Lilly and Rose but he made a promise and it would go against his very principles to implement such a trade. The thought of him allowing such a thing struck him as cowardice.

"I said 's not happening." He put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and her eyes flew open. "Made you a promise, didn't I?" He smiled at her. "Intend to keep it. You're not going back there."

_Besides, wouldn't work._ He knew himself a little too well. His future regeneration would be anticipating that and then he could get his hands on both girls. He wasn't about to lose either Lilly or Sara. He just needed to out think himself.

When Lilly awoke she found herself laying on one of the beds in the TARDIS infirmary. There was a gentle hum in the background, and the smell of disinfectant in the air.

"The power's back on," she said to herself, thinking she was on her own TARDIS, and wondering why she was in the med bay.

"No. We're not recharged yet. I put in a back up system after ending up stuck in a parallel universe once before." Ten stepped into view, adjusting some kind of gizmo in his hands. He looked up at the lights on the ceiling. "I just had to activate it to get it to kick in. It's not enough to travel anywhere..." His gaze fell on Lilly. She'd sat up, and scrambled back from him. "...but it's enough," the Doctor continued. "She should be finished recharging in no time." Ten looked at how Lilly withdrew from him. He raised an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth gave a little smirk. "Bit skittish are we?" he asked.

Lilly raised her fingers to the temple Ten had touched when he'd ordered her to sleep. "Why... Why did you do that?" Her voice trembled.

Lilly wasn't brave like Sara or Rose. She was naturally shy. And unlike her friends who would confront an enemy head on, Lilly would do anything to avoid conflict, only fighting when backed into a corner, and only stating her opinion when she felt like she had backup.

"I needed to scan you and my counterpart would never allow it. Seems I'm a bit stubborn that way."

"You could have asked."

"Yeah, I seem to remember asking."

"I would have said yes, if you'd asked again. I was already thinking about..."

"Oh, ho ho. Perhaps... perhaps eons ago I might have given you a second chance. But I'm so old now. I asked once. No second..."

"...chances. You're that sort of a man," Lilly finished his line feeling a sense of fear settle over her. This man was not like her Doctor.

The Doctor smiled at Lilly. "Now, that's interesting." He set the apparatus he was working on on the foot of Lilly's bed before turning to face her. "That's something you and Sara seem to have in common. Repeating others before we speak. I ran into another creature who could do that, trapped on a bus on the planet..."

"...Midnight," whispered Lilly. Her brows raised in confusion. Why wasn't she keeping her mouth shut? Why was she finishing his sentences? "You were traveling with Donna, but she didn't go on the bus with you. They were going to throw you off the..." Lilly covered her mouth with both hands trying to get herself to stop talking. "What have you done to me?!" she asked through her hands.

"It's a side effect of one of the chemicals I had to give you for one of your scans to work. Pity it won't last. I suppose I could give you a second dose, but I don't know if your system could handle that. From what I've seen of humans, it looks like it would compromise your immune system, amongst other things. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to add any more stress to your already taxed physical structure. Who broke your arm, by the way?"

"The Doctor," Lilly answered through her hands.

Ten raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And why did he do that?"

"He fell and I..." Lilly stopped talking. The uncontrolled answers stopped. She let out a sigh of relief, and smiled before uncovering her mouth.

Ten frowned. He glanced at the ground for a moment, put his hands in his pockets, and rocked back on his heals, blowing out a breath of air as he did so. He had to be careful with Lilly. He knew. If he played his cards right, things could work very well in his favor.

"I'm sorry," said Ten. "I'm sorry that happened. I guess it's a good thing I was there to help you."

"What happened to you?" asked Lilly. "You shouldn't be like this. You're not supposed be..." She didn't want to offend him. "...not nice?" she finished.

"How do you know?"

Lilly didn't answer.

Ten pursed his lips. "I'm going to be clear. And I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. You are going to answer my questions quickly and honestly. You will hide nothing from me. And trust me. I'll be able to tell if you're not being honest. So, don't even try. If you lie to me, or refuse to answer my questions, I'll go inside your mind and find the answers myself. Either way I'm going to find out what's going on. The choice of how comfortable for you that will be is up to you." He looked pointedly at Lilly. "Do you understand?"

Lilly looked at her hands. She was scared, so scared. "We have a deal. The other Doctor and I. We have a deal to always tell each other the truth."

Ten looked at Lilly with surprise. Why would he ever make a deal like that?

"There are some exceptions. Like...like if the truth will cause a paradox or get someone killed. But other than that we tell each other the truth no matter how much it might scare or hurt the other person's feelings."

Is that why his ninth self explained why she was his ward instead of lying about it? Was it this deal she spoke of?

Lilly swallowed. "I'll answer your questions. But I won't cause a paradox. I won't be the cause of other people dying." She looked up at the Doctor, gritting her teeth, and giving him her hardest look, trying to make a show of bravado. "Am I clear?" she asked, trying to sound tough, but coming across a little soft.

Ten smiled. He smiled, and then he laughed. It wasn't a forced laugh, or a phony laugh. It was a real laugh, heartfelt and good. It had been... Well, he couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed like that. She was cute. The way she tried to sound tough, the way she tried to give him 'the look', it was down right adorable. It reminded him of that look his daughter used to give him as a child when he would tease her. Lilly looked on in surprise.

"I see why he likes you," said Ten when he finally calmed down. He was still smiling, and a little part of him softened for just a moment. But the moment past. And being faced with the very real possibility of Lilly or Sara altering his past enough to erase what he'd done to keep the universe alive pressed back down on him with more weight than he could carry.

His hardened look returned. And in what seemed like a blink of an eye, the Doctor moved to the side of Lilly's bed. He took hold of her arms and pulled her to stand in front of him. She tried to step back when his hands shot up to grab hold of her head, two fingers on each of her temples.

"No. Please!" Lilly's hands instantly shot up to hang onto the Doctor's wrists. She knew what this was. She remembered the 'final action' all too clearly. And even if he wasn't going to hallow out her mind, she recognized the position.

"It won't hurt if you don't resist."

Lilly felt the heaviness of his mind as the Doctor began to press himself against her, penetrating the very edge of her consciousness. He wasn't even to her outskirts yet. He was being gentle, a kindness for making him laugh.

"I said I'd answer!" shouted Lilly. "I said I'd tell you the truth!"

"You said you would withhold some things from me."

Lilly could feel the Doctor begin to press and slip a little deeper.

"You...You asked if I understood! I was clarifying. That's all. I was just trying to... Please. Please. Anything you want. Just don't do this. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I won't hold back."

The Doctor paused to look at Lilly. Should he stop? It was rare that a human could handle the mind of a Time Lord beyond basic hypnosis and surface commands. If he continued, this might not even work. Still, it did feel good to have another mind pressed up so closely against his. And she might change her mind if he was to withdraw. Maybe he could just stay like this for a while. Lilly's mind felt nothing like Sara's. Sara's mind was strong, powerful. It felt like home. Lilly felt so very... human, simple, but he felt comfortable there nonetheless.

"Alright, Lilly," answered the Doctor. He didn't move or release his hold on her. "This is your only chance. We'll see how you do."

Lilly let out a shuddered breath, trying to hold it together. She was more frightened now than she'd ever been. Maybe it was the fact that this version of the Doctor was so dangerous. Maybe it was the fact that she was being threatened. Or maybe it had something to do with how this telepathy felt. The last time the Doctor touched her mind, he was angry. His touch reminded her of the pull of a magnet, and her mind felt like it was covered in a thick gel sucking at her when he'd finally pulled back. This time though, it felt different. There was no magnetic pull. There was no fluid-like sensation. It just felt... felt... intimate. Like the Doctor was about to take something from her, something no one should be aloud to touch.

Was this the difference between Nine and Ten? Had even the feel of their telepathic touch changed. Or was this Ten really not the Doctor at all. Maybe he was some kind of imposter. Whatever the reason Lilly was scared, properly scared of him. She could only imagine how Sara must have felt, being stuck with him for however long he'd had her. How many times had he done this to her? How many times had he threatened her? No wonder she'd seemed so beaten. She must have been an incredibly strong willed person to survive this Doctor at all. Maybe it would have been better if Rose hadn't saved him on Satellite Five.

"What do you want to know?" Lilly's voice shook.

"Everything," he answered. "Start at the beginning. How did you meet me? Where did you come from? What are you? Everything."

"Ok. Ok, it's starts off with a paradox."

The Doctor's eyes widened. And Lilly started telling him how she found herself standing in a pizzeria watching Rose and a phony Mickey across the room. She didn't hold anything back. Every worry, every thought, every moment she was afraid she was about to die, or she'd cause someone else's death, she shared it all. And even though she was terrified, even though his hands were holding tightly to her head, and she could feel his mind hovering over her, it felt good to finally be able to share all her secrets. It was liberating to let it all go. Every time she cried, remembered her fear, or rejoiced in the beauty of something the Doctor had shown her, it showed in her features. And Ten felt what she'd felt. He lived what she'd lived through her feelings.

By the time Lilly reached the part of her story when the ninth Doctor decided to preform the final action, Ten withdrew himself from Lilly and stepped back.

"But... That's illegal." Ten's voice was full of astonishment. "The 'Final Action' protocol was deemed one of the most barbaric practices ever conceived by a Time Lord. Why would I ever...?" Something didn't make sense here. "I know I'm firm," said the Doctor. "I certainly don't have as much mercy as I used to. But I would never..." Ten clenched his jaw. He had a few questions for Nine.

"He didn't do it," defended Lilly.

"Obviously."

"He...He gave me a second chance," Lilly made her point. "And... I gave him a second chance too. We've been friends ever since."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Don't try to manipulate me, Lilly."

Lilly swallowed, and wrapped one hand around her wrist for comfort. She was grateful; at least he wasn't touching her anymore.

"Continue," ordered the Doctor. "Tell me the rest."

Lilly went on with her story. She told him about Nine's promise. Ten smiled when he'd learned Jabe survived.

"I always liked that tree," he commented, taking note of the differences in how he remembered events.

There was a look of awe on his face when Lilly told him about how she and Rose sang for the Earth's funeral, and a look of grief when she described how Nine explained how to deal with death during their trip back to modern London. She told him how excited Nine got at the idea of Lilly traveling with him. And Lilly explained her concerns about Nine not traveling anymore.

"I figured if he stayed on Earth, by the time he started traveling again, Rose would be dead. And without Rose, he wouldn't survive the daleks on Satellite Five. And if he didn't survive that he wouldn't be around to stop the reality bomb."

"You do realize you can't keep traveling with him. Don't you?" asked the Doctor. "You're changing events. You're rewriting my history."

"I know," said Lilly. "But he won't travel without me. And he won't leave me behind. I've done the best I can. I've tried not to change too much. And honestly, what choices to I have? He says he's not a fixed point, and he can travel with whomever he wants. He's a Time Lord. And I'm only human."

The Doctor nodded. "You...You've done pretty well, for a human."

"Do you believe me then?"

Ten nodded. "Most of it. I suppose from a human's understanding of time, you've been as honest as you can." He didn't believe she'd seen his life on the tele. There's no way that could have happened. But for some strange reason both she and Sara perceived time similarly. Maybe it was just the familiarity of a television telling stories. Maybe it had something to do with how the human brain was able to translate temporal information into something they could understand. Either way both girls had an understanding of things they shouldn't know. Both girls needed to be supervised, controlled.

"So..."

"So?"

"Can I... Can I go back to my Doctor now that..."

"No. You'll be with me from now on."

Lilly wrapped her arms around herself. He wasn't going to let her go.

"I'm sorry," offered Ten. "I can't allow you to rewrite my past. I might not remember you yet, Lilly Brooks. But I'm sure I will once time catches up to me. And when that happens, I'm sure we'll be friends again. In the meantime, your welcome to anything on my TARDIS. Find yourself a room. Eat what you like. The library is off limits for now." He still had to secure any books that might contain his name. "But any other room not locked, you're allowed access to." He took several steps to come close to Lilly, wanting to make his point. He looked down at his prisoner, power echoing off of him. Lilly would have stepped back away from him, but there was nowhere to go. She flinched when he reached down to run his thumb across her temple, making himself clear. "You are not to leave my Tardis without me. One chance. One warning. Am I clear?" Lilly nodded, not able to look away from his eyes. "Sara needs to be here too," he added.

"Sara needs to be here too," Lilly repeated his words.

"Right." Ten stepped back from Lilly, and headed towards the door. "Oh." He turned back to face her. "Thank you, by the way. Thank you for insisting I go back for Rose."

It would take twenty-four hours to fully recharge his TARDIS but there was enough power now to put it into lockdown mode as a safety measure. Ten may have Lilly but Nine doubted he would leave the parallel universe without Sara secured as well. It was one of those times when he should of trusted Lilly's instincts. Human intuition baffled him but how often had it been proven correct? Lilly and Rose's instincts with the Gelth and their true nature was accurate and he had argued against in his eagerness to assist them, which had profound consequences.

He remembered how upset Lilly was after she was forced to witness the death of Charles Dickens …he grimaced at the memory when she desperately begged him to save the author's life. But Lilly had tried to warn him that Ten shouldn't be allowed onto his ship. Whether it was her psychic power or her human intuition, he should have taken it into more careful consideration but he wanted to get a better gauge on future regeneration.

After locking the TARDIS down, he returned to find the two girls in Rose's bedroom and he was grateful for the moment that Rose had not left his newest ward's side. Humans, good instinct aside, were strangely unpredictable creatures especially when they had experienced a concussive series of traumatic events.

"Lettin' you two know, have to lock down the TARDIS for the time being." Nine informed them calmly.

Sara glanced at him panicked. It reminded her too much of when she had woken after being chased down in London after Adelaide had died. So _he's going to imprison me anyway? _

"Wait, why?" She asked quickly, her breath coming rapidly. Maybe this was a trick after all. They were still the same person.

"Need to keep you safe while he's out there."

"By locking me inside." Sara said flatly. She was retreating as her eyes just stared at him blankly. Had she really exchanged one prison for another? She trusted Lilly but in her way, Lilly was so innocent and didn't have the personal experience she encountered with the Doctor's future self. This Ninth version of the Doctor was several years removed from becoming the Time Lord Victorious but what if his path remained fixed? What if he didn't bounce back?

"Not the same, Sara." He sighed. "You need to trust me."

"He said the same thing." Shaking her head. "Look how that turned out."

"He's right." Rose said reassuringly. " 'S not the same."

"Says the big, bad-" she froze as they stared at her. "Sorry, just tired." She said covering for herself swiftly. Now could she be so negligent? Wasn't she usually so cautious about preventing a paradox? Erring on the side of safety? Of course, she made a mess of Mars by her concealment and the Doctor's curiosity of her aversion caused the disaster he was in. She knew she couldn't afford to make the same mistake with this Doctor and Lilly had told her he was very mindful of future information. _Probably just as well._

"I'm sorry Rose." Sara found herself repeating. "I didn't mean anything. I'm just not feeling so great." It was a safe option. Rose might only think she was going to call her some form of a bad name rather then the paradox she represented.

" 'S alright." Rose smiled at her.

She saw Nine analyzing her with a somewhat critical expression although she had difficultly discerning his gaze. Sara found herself gritting her teeth with anxiety since she indeed almost made a minor slip but it wasn't a reference this version would know. Not yet anyway. Besides, she caught herself before letting loose the information so no harm done. What did he call Lilly? 'Time Sensitive'? Ten had only expressed that she was a possible weapon with her energy particles and future knowledge. It was a rather ridiculous title to call someone who had only ended up in their reality by accident and having the basis of their knowledge be derived from a British TV show. Ten had never negated her use of TV episodes as references when she provided insight into his future but after speaking with Lilly, she had to wonder whether he believed her at all.

"Infirmary should be up and running." Nine said. "Should get you checked out."

"Infirmary?" Sara repeated thinking about the two days she spent confined under the stasis field. This didn't sound promising to her at all and she couldn't help but wonder if she made a fatal error and upset him? _Oh God. What have I done wrong? _She thought desperately.

"Please," She started. "I'm f-fine." She shook her head as her hands trembled. "There's noth-"

"Will only take a minute. Promise." Nine said to her gently.

Sara nodded exceedingly reluctant taking a deep breath. If she played along, well, she had gotten out of a locked TARDIS before and she knew she had to somehow get back to Lilly. If she refused to cooperate with this Doctor at present then he could very well confine her to his sickbay or put her in that sleep room she took to dreading. She would then be helpless to take any measure of control and her inner practicality conveyed she had to keep all options open.

Slowly, she got up and started to follow him out in the corridor and down the hall. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a profound sense of dizziness more then she had ever experienced before. She watched in horror as her skin seemed to light with the diffuse glow that she once attributed to her imagination and she blinked rapidly to clear it. The glow nearly seemed to settle but her light-headedness would not dissipate and she put her hand out for support against the nearest wall.

"Woe, you all right?" He asked and she felt him take her arm but Sara couldn't think to respond, her throat constricted and she could sense something near her. Something she readily knew. A presence that exuded power that suddenly perpetrated the outskirts of her mind boring into her very skull. She shrieked in agony, clutching her head before her body gave way and collapsed.

She was in the console room of the TARDIS and Sara glanced around, feeling perplexed. _How did I get here?_ She vaguely remembered being in a hallway or possibly in Rose's company until the details became to blurry to decipher.

"Sara."

She turned around seeing Lilly and her eyes widened. "Lilly. Are you okay? What did he do?"

Lilly appeared to look frightened as she glanced around her surroundings. "He's in-" She couldn't seem to continue her sentence. "You need to come here too." Her voice had a slightly dull edge to it.

"Come there-?" Sara at once understood. "He wants me back." She said flatly.

"Very good Sara," Ten affirmed as he made his way down the stairs. "I must say I have missed the feeling of being inside your mind."

Sara felt sick. "You don't have to do this." She glanced at Lilly. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing permanent." He paused. "Yet."

"You brought her mind in here?" She asked. Ten said nothing. "What the hell is wrong with you? Oh wait, you're sick. Stupid question."

"No less then what was done to me."

"What was done to you." Sara repeated. "Did I invade your mind and forget?" She flung up her hands. "Oh right. I'm not a Time Lord. I'm human. I can't."

He only gave her a hard stare. Lilly remained quiet through their exchange. _This is my fault. _Sara's guilt was tremendous. It was she who had run bringing Ten in her wake allowing him to take Lilly in her stead. If she had stayed where she was, none of this would have happened.

"Look, ok, you win. I'll get out. I'll come back." Sara assured him. She had done it before and Nine wouldn't necessarily expect it. "But if I do, you let her go. That's the deal, right?"

Ten smiled at her indulgently. "That's the deal." He repeated. In the back of his mind protected from Sara's thoughts he knew every word was a lie. He had to manipulate Sara, get her to return to have both girls. His earlier self wouldn't have prior knowledge of Sara's foresight of escaping the TARDIS. He merely told him that Sara contained energy particles that could endanger the universe. If he thought Sara was time sensitive too…well, it didn't matter. Sara was intuitive and reckless. He knew her far too well.

With that thought in mind, he pulled himself out of Sara's mind and left.

Sara awoke to being carried in Nine's arms. She saw the worried expression on his face and noticed how quickly they were moving through the corridors. Was he running? Normally Sara would have objected to being carried, but after what had just happened... What happened? After whatever it was that had just happened Sara knew she was too weak to stand on her own. She didn't even have the strength to lift her head from off Nine's shoulder.

"NO!" shrieked Sara when she saw one of the beds in the infirmary. Adrenaline flooded her system, and she found the strength to begin fighting her way out of Nine's arms. Nine was so surprised at Sara's outburst and subsequent physical retaliation; he'd almost dropped her. He had no idea a flashback of being trapped on one of the med bay beds was racing through Sara's mind. He had no idea the infirmary was one of the rooms Sara felt the most frightened of. Between being bound to one of those beds, unable to move, for days, and being at the mercy of Ten's continuous examinations and tests, this room, this laboratory was as close to what Sara could imagine hell was like. She was on her feet now, and pulling away from Nine who had a hold of one of her forearms.

"Please!" she shouted, tears starting at the corners of her eyes. "Please! Don't hurt me! Don't put me in there! No tests! No examinations! I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't run from you! You don't have to strap me down! I didn't break your rules! I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Pleeeeease!" Sara's last plea was broken into a sob.

Nine's eyes widened in surprise for only a moment before his features darkened into an anger like no other. Time itself seemed to ripple in waves coming off of the Time Lord like heat waves rippling off a car in mid summer heat. The fury coursing through him would have caused Rassilon himself to flee in terror. But his fury wasn't for Rassilon. It was for himself. What had he done to this little girl, this child not even fifty years old? Just what kind of monster was he destined to become? Instantly recognizing the panic Sara was in, he moved, pulling her into the corridor they'd just left. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. Pulling her into his chest, he hugged her.

"'S alright," he soothed. "You're safe." His voice was soft as she struggled against him. "No tests. No exams. Didn't do anything wrong. Don't have to go in there." He spoke his words quietly just above her ear in that special tone he knew had a calming effect on humans. Finally, she stopped struggling against his hold. "Shh-sh-sh. I've got you. Promise. You're safe," he tried to comfort her when she started to cry. Her whole body shook as she sobbed into his shoulder. And instead of fighting to get away from him, she began clinging to him like he was her last hope. He didn't release his hold on her, and her whole body trembled in response to the emotional terror she'd just faced as she cried. Tears of empathy came to the Doctor's eyes, one of them escaping to trickle down his cheek.

What about Lilly? he thought. What could he be doing to her right now? If this is what his future self had done to Sara, obviously a human with great self-determination, how could Lilly survive. She already had a tendency to be more timid than any other companion he'd had. How could she possibly maintain any sense of self, if he was doing anything to her like what he'd done to Sara? The Doctor clenched his jaw. He had to get Lilly back. He had to get her back now. There was no time for gathering information, for learning what the future incarnation was like from Sara like he'd planned. There was no time. Lilly couldn't wait. And there was nothing that could stop him from rescuing her.

Maybe this is how I'll die, thought the Doctor, thinking about the measures he might have to take to get Lilly back. Temporally displaced suicide. It was better than the alternative. It was better than letting himself harm his companions.

Sara's trembling stopped. Nine relaxed his hold on her, but she continued to lean against him.

"What's the matter?" asked Rose as she caught up to them, breathing heavy from running. The Doctor hadn't waited for Rose when he'd run Sara to the infirmary. "'S she alright?"

Sara stepped back from the Time Lord, and used her hands to wipe the residual tears stains from her cheeks. She took a deep breath.

"Sorry. I don't know why I..."

"It's alright," the Doctor cut her off. He turned to face Rose. "Do you remember where the deadlock switches are in the console room?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He pressed his lips together, then sighed. "I'm going out. Got to get Lilly back. I'll deadlock the TARDIS on my way out. Need you to let us back in. Understand?"

Rose looked at him, concern on her features, before answering. "Alright."

"Might be in a bit of a hurry too. Need you to be Johnny on the spot."

"What's the matter?" asked Rose.

"Think Lilly's in trouble."

Rose nodded her understanding, and the Time Lord didn't wait for any further discussion. He ran.

"Get to the console room fast as you can," he called out from down the hall.

Rose smiled at Sara before bringing her eyebrows together in concern. She reached out to put her hand on Sara's arm. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. It's just..." Sara looked down the corridor where Nine ran. "He's different. He's so different from my Doctor. It's like... It's like he's a different man. Isn't it?"

Rose looked quizzically at Sara. A different man? "Well, yeah," answered Rose. "They might have the same name, but... Why would you think they're the same ma...?" Rose thought about her own question. "The Doctor, my Doctor, asked your Doctor, 'how long until I'm you?'" Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. "No. Can't be. How could they possibly be the same? That's not makin' sense."

"Time travel," answered Sara. "You weren't supposed to find out until he died."

"How do you mean?"

"Time Lords... they..." Oh, how much should she say? "They're shape changers. Sort of. When they die, they change. My Doctor... He's your Doctor, but from your Doctor's future. I'm sorry."

"Kaaaay." Rose nodded, unsure exactly of what Sara meant. She was sure the Doctor would explain it better when he got back. "C'mon. Doctor wanted us in the console room." Sara and Rose headed down the corridor together.

Lilly stood alone in the TARDIS infirmary shaken by Ten's words. She understood why he didn't want her to rewrite his past. She knew how dangerous that could be. There were several scenarios she could instantly think of where changing the smallest thing could bring about the end of the multiverse. It had been something Lilly'd been worried about ever since Nine brought her on board. Besides that, if she'd messed something up, if she'd done something that got the Doctor killed... She tried not to think about it. But she knew. Without the Doctor this universe wouldn't survive. And if this universe didn't survive. None of them would.

"I'll never see him again," Lilly said aloud, thinking of Nine. She knew the Doctor was supposed to be the same man. But after what just happened, it didn't seem that way. Lilly's bottom lip quivered, and her eyes teared up. She swallowed, and choked back her tears. "Quit it," she ordered herself. "It's fine. It'll be fine. He's still the Doctor. He's just going through a rough patch right now." Right now, thought Lilly. Where was this Doctor in his timeline? Sara said he'd just come from Mars. The next episode after Mars was...

"No." Lilly took in a sharp breath. The Master. It was that episode when the Master came back. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the world and with it her fear, for just a moment. "Should I warn him?" Supported on shaky legs, Lilly headed towards the console room and the Time Lord Victorious.

When Lilly cautiously entered the console room, the Doctor was standing several feet away from the console with something like the chameleon arch on his head. The apparatus he'd been working on in the infirmary was attached to it, and his eyes were closed. He stood completely still and quiet like he was in deep concentration. Lilly slowly approached him. She stood still, watching him for several minutes. When he didn't move or speak, her eyes glanced at the doors leading outside. Maybe... Maybe she could just leave. Could it be that simple? Were the doors unlocked? Truth be told, she didn't want to stay with this Doctor. He scared her. But how could she think about going back to her Doctor after what this Doctor said about altering his timeline. No. She knew. What one person wanted wasn't more important than the survival of the universe.

Lilly stood still for a moment more before she began moving towards the doors, curiosity getting the better of her. She just wanted to know if the doors were locked. Was she a prisoner here? Or was she his companion? Finally standing just in front of the doors, she turned back to see if the Doctor had moved. He hadn't. He was still concentrating on whatever he was doing. Lilly swallowed, and reached for the exit.

"One chance."

Lilly jumped and spun around quickly when she heard Ten speak. He was still facing away from her.

"I... I didn't leave," she said quickly. "I was just... I wanted to see... to look outside. That's all."

Ten reached up and removed the chameleon arch-like helmet. He turned around, and slowly gave Lilly a calculating stare. After a moment he nodded towards the exit. "Go on then. Have your look."

Surprised, Lilly turned back around. Hesitantly reaching for the doors, she pulled them open, and swallowed. There it was, the outside world, only a step away. She could smell the grass. She could feel the breeze, hear children playing, feel the sun on her face, and see the sky, the sky with the right color.

"You didn't come in here for that," Ten spoke, and Lilly turned back around to face him. He was watching her, hands in his pockets. "What did you want?"

"I...Sara said you went to Mars."

"I'm not discussing it," he turned to the console, leaving the helmet to hang, and began pushing buttons. The helmet began to retract into the ceiling.

"What is that?" asked Lilly. "What were you doing?"

"Talking to Sara," he answered. "I adapted a chameleon arch into a telepathic transmographier using a bilinear synaptic amplifier."

Lilly looked at the Doctor not understanding a word of his technical jargon.

"It's a phone," he explained, and started to smile. "A telepathic phone." It had been a long time since he'd had a companion who'd asked him questions. It was nice. Being able to show off a bit was nice. "I just asked her to pop over for a visit. She'll be traveling with us."

"Oh."

The Doctor's smile slipped. Lilly hadn't been impressed.

"I wasn't wanting to talk about Mars," Lilly brought the conversation back to what she came in for. "It's about the Master."

The Doctor turned his full attention to Lilly.

"I know you think he's dead. He died in your arms. But he's not. It's a trick." Lilly paused, taking in a slow breath.

"Go on."

"I don't know how much I can tell you without creating a paradox," she added. "But... I just wanted to warn you. After Mars, he comes back. He was wearing this... this green ring. And he had people set up to... to... I don't know what they do. But they use it to bring him back. Then the Ood call for you. They warn you about him."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "Sara and I just came from the Ood."

"Oh," responded Lilly. "Then you already know."

"Yup." The Doctor flipped a lever on the console. "S'pose as soon as we get her back, we should leave. Thank you for letting me know."

Lilly forced a quick smile. "Can I... I mean, since we're going, can I say goodbye before we leave."

"No." The Doctor turned his attention to the console.

"But..."

"No." His voice was firm.

"Please."

"I said, No."

"But..."

"NO!" Lilly jumped back when he shouted, instantly trembling.

The Doctor looked at her. "You are skittish. Aren't you?"

Lilly didn't answer. But when the Doctor took a step towards her, she stepped back.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's me, Lilly. It's me. I'm the Doctor. We're the same man. You don't have to say goodbye, because I'm right here."

"I know." She glanced back at the open doors behind her, longing to step through them, before dropping her eyes to the floor. "I get it. Regeneration. Same man. New face. New everything. Rude, but not ginger," Lilly started to ramble nervously. "But, Lord Doctor," she addressed him formally like she'd seen Rassilon do on 'Doctor Who'. Her hands were trembling along with her voice.

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise at the use of his formal title. "It's not happening." He was quickly losing patience with this human.

"Rose."

The Doctor froze.

"I'll...I'll never see her again." Lilly's breath hitched. "She's... She's my best friend. She's more than a sister. She's family. And I know... I know it's better, safer for the universe if I don't travel with her... him... them anymore. I'm..." Tears teetered at the edges of her eyes. "I'm never going to see her again. By the time you're you..."

"She'll be gone," the Doctor finished her sentence.

One of the tears threatening to fall slipped down Lilly's cheek. The Doctor took a deep breath, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I can't," explained the Doctor in a softer voice. "I'm sorry. You can't." Memories of losing Rose cascaded through his mind, bringing with them all the heartache he'd been pushing away for the last two centuries. He knew what Lilly would be feeling. Rose had been his best friend too.

"Kay," her voice broke, and she ran towards the corridor to leave the console room.

"Lilly."

She froze. The Doctor let out a long slow breath.

"C'mon." He picked up his coat. "Let's go say goodbye to Rose."

The tenth Doctor held a tight grasp on Lilly's hand as they made their way towards the other TARDIS.

"Thank you," Lilly repeated for the fifth time.

"Just remember our deal," Ten reminded.

"One chance. I know. I remember. Thank you," she said again.

Suddenly, Ten pulled Lilly hard against him, hiding her between himself and a tree.

"Well, isn't that fortuitous?" The Doctor's voice was cold.

"What... what is it?" asked Lilly.

The Doctor nodded in the direction they'd come. It was the ninth Doctor. He was heading straight towards the other TARDIS, equipment in hand. Ten smiled devilishly. He knew this meant the other TARDIS was unprotected. Getting Sara back was going to be easier than he thought. Ten whipped out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it towards his TARDIS.

"That should keep me busy for a while," he said with a smirk.

With added strength Ten pulled Lilly along with him, holding onto her upper arm instead of her hand. They were headed towards Nine's TARDIS, double speed.

**A/N: We hope you all are still enjoying the crossover. Let us know what you think of Lilly and Sara's alternate adventure here. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Glad to see the enthusiasm **


	3. Divergence

Sara clutched the railing in the console room as remnants of the dream she had experienced startled to trickle back into her mind. She had seen Lilly, so utterly blank and forlorn just standing there gazing at her emptily as she could only say that Sara needed to be there too. Back with Ten. Back at the place of her nightmares. Nine had surprised her. She had forgotten that the Doctor could be kind. That he was once a hero. But Lilly trusted him wholeheartedly and she could feel his empathy pour off him like waves. He didn't force his mind into hers. He didn't restrain her or lock her in a room, considering her nothing more then prisoner. She had thought Nine and Ten would be the same in persona even though the subject of regenerations was a perplexing one. She had hoped if Ten had achieved more patience in the future, she would inquire about the subject, but the opportunity never presented itself.

It had been cathartic for her to express all the pain, agony and terror she had experienced at the hands of Ten. Not in words but in sheer emotion that she kept bottled up for so long inside her.

Lilly. She made a deal with Ten. She had grown to appreciate Nine and see him a bit through Lilly's eyes and having known Lilly, she knew Nine would be all the better with her by his side but with Sara, they were simply asking for trouble. She shouldn't be with any of the Doctor's at all in any version with the mess she made of things. Mars and its inevitable conclusion was her fault. Everything Ten was amounted on her shoulders and now Nine was running off with the intent of possibly facing off with his future self.

It wouldn't bode well. Ten had two centuries of experience and knowledge to go by. What if one of them died? Even if Ten perished, the consequences on the future would be disastrous. The paradoxes alone with River Song would cause damage in reality. There was Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Clara Oswald, and all paradoxes that awaited in his future. People he needed to meet and to know.

Eleven had inferred she could still help him, that there was hope on the horizon. Whatever the case, she couldn't sit and let Lilly take her place as Ten's prisoner nor could she allow either Doctor to simply perish. A sacrifice had to be made but not on behest of either of the Doctors and this was a price she was willing to pay already. She had made a deal with Ten that she would give herself up in exchange for Lilly to be set free. She was terrified about what this escalated into and she knew that once Ten had her back in his clutches, she could likely say goodbye to any measure of freedom but she felt her pocket already knowing a solution in her mind.

She was already broken besides, Ten had seen to that. What more could he do to her that he hadn't already done. What more could he possibly take?

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Rose. "I need to go out there. I have to help."

Rose shook her head adamantly. "No, 'S not right. Doctor told us to stay right here."

"You should lock up right after I leave." Sara whispered.

"But the other Doctor could find you and-" Her eyes widened. "You want him to?"

"This is my fault, Rose. What he's become and why he took Lilly. He never would have done this before." Sara shook her head.

"Then what 'appened to him?"

Sara gazed at Rose remembering how many times she had tried to use her name to bring Ten to his senses. By the way his face froze and how he looked at her in the park, she could tell he still loved her deeply. But she needed to put this simply and without deterring Rose's future since there was no need to ruin her eventual happiness.

"His heart broke to many times and he didn't want to feel anymore."

"Oh." Rose stated quietly. "Why does he stare at me like…?" Rose couldn't quite put her finger on it. If she had to, she would say it was one of longing.

"You're one of his favorite companions." Sara answered cautiously.

"Kay, but in the future?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say. It might cause a paradox."

"Sound like Lilly and the Doctor."

She sighed. "I don't know if I said too much about how they change forms. You shouldn't even know that part of it." _So much for caution._

"I can cope." Rose replied.

Sara nodded while her thoughts briefly meandered to Nine. "Your Doctor, he's still alive in mine somewhere." She released a shuddering breath, remembering the concern and the empathy that poured off of Nine. The philosophy of regenerations was a difficult one for her to understand. _'I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but…it's still me.' _ She remembered the episode clearly when Nine first changed into Ten. Rose was panicking but Ten had been calm, patient and understanding. He had been like Nine. Gentle. Fierce when Earth had been threatened in The Christmas Invasion but he had taken Rose to New Earth and cured all those individuals that were used as scientific experiments. He was horrified when the staff tried to explain they weren't real people.

Somewhere inside, that Doctor existed. Was it even possible that Sara could find him in time? Or was he doomed to become the Valeyard? On TV, he realized he'd gone too far when Adelaide had killed herself. _God, what a mess I caused_. People like Lily and herself shouldn't be around the Doctor at all in any form. Things get skewed and history completely rewritten.

"You need to let me out." She told Rose, her voice wavering. It was tempting to stay here but she couldn't make more of a mess then she had already. She didn't even know what episode they were on in their timeline. Obviously past the End of the World but that was as far as she could discern. She couldn't allow Nine to risk his life for her or for Lilly. If either of them died, the consequences alone would be disastrous. Multiple universes would perish.

"But-" Rose protested. They were out of time. Sara searched the console, finding the input in and input out switches, quickly flipping them twice, before running to the door.

"No, Sara wait!" Rose cried out but Sara already had the door opened.

"Deadlock the doors behind me and tell your Doctor thank you. What he did," Her voice trembled. "It meant everything to me. I won't forget it."

Quickly, she shut the door behind her, hoping Rose would follow her request as she steeled herself, running in the direction of Ten's TARDIS. She could do this. She survived before. She was strong, even Eleven had told her so. He said to trust her instincts. She had to remember what those were. Her notions were so scattered right now but she knew in her heart that once she turned herself into Ten, although worth it to save Lilly, she'd eventually go mad. The control she had over life was perishing. Within the pocket of the new jeans she had changed into in the wardrobe room, she again touched the object she lifted from the clothing table with reassurance. _There is always a way out. _She had known it all along.

"Sara."

She gasped, turning around to see Ten almost directly in front of her holding Lilly tightly by her upper arm. Lilly looked shaken but otherwise unharmed. _What are they doing out here? _It didn't matter. Ten wanted her. This might be the easier course. Lilly didn't have to go far to get back to her TARDIS.

Sara raised her hands in a placating gesture, taking a deep breath. "Look, I'm here. I won't run. We had a deal. You can take me. Just let Lilly go."

He chuckled in amusement and Sara looked at him suspiciously. "You see, the thing is Sara, I have a feeling that Lilly and I are going to be good friends." He turned to smile at Lilly who only looked at Sara as if to convey a hidden message with her eyes. "She might help keep you in line. No more escape attempts and you wouldn't suffer from, what was it, 'social isolation'? I'm actually doing you a favor."

"A favor." Sara repeated flatly.

"I can't have you two erasing my timeline."

"Lilly has not been erasing your timeline!" Sara retaliated. "We've talked. She's been helping to preserve it."

Ten stepped towards Sara, power echoing off of him in each stride and instinctively she retreated.

"Oh ho, no you don't." He said, moving quickly, seizing her wrist. Yanking her forward.

"We had a deal." Sara said, her voice shaking.

"Rule number one, the Doctor always lies." Lilly's tone was hollow. Sara glanced at her feeling the full weight of what she had just done. If she hadn't run when they had landed in this universe, then Lilly wouldn't be in this predicament. Lilly didn't know this Doctor like she did. He was manipulative, cunning and without his emotions to ground him, capable of anything.

"You see how well she knows me already?" Ten smiled thoughtfully. "You said that's the deal. I merely repeated you."

Sara looked at him utterly horrified. "I should never have brought Christina on board. You left her to rot on Mars…" Tears started to well up in her eyes. "I should have been faster to jump off that bridge. I should of died. Don't you see how far you've fallen?" Ten gave her a cursory stare before starting to pull both girls with him.

"You promised I could say good-bye to Rose." Lilly protested.

Ten glanced at Lilly and Sara could see the distinct softening edge to him. "Was that a lie too?" Sara asked, trying to mellow her tone. "You never answered before but what do you think Rose would say if she saw you like this? That's what this is about. Shutting yourself down. Lilly and I both lost everyone we loved. You did too. But what would Rose tell you to do right now?"

"Why don't you just ask? Standin' right here."

Ten's face froze as he turned to see Rose standing right before him, gazing at him with a look of utter sorrow in her eyes. He remembered her clearly from the dream when she stepped away from him telling Ten directly, _'He's right. You're not the Doctor.' _

"Rose." His voice seemed to choke.

Sara was stunned and Lilly seemed to share her expression.

"Know who you are." Rose said. "The Doctor, different body, yeah?"

Ten's expression was one of grief. "Something like that."

"She said, I was your favorite companion." Rose pointed to Sara. "Can't be that simple though."

"Rose, you have to trust me on this. It could cause a paradox-"

"Yes, she said the same thing, but Doctor," Rose stumbled a bit. "The Doctor I know wouldn't do this."

Ten swallowed. "You don't understand. They're dangerous and-"

"No. They're my friends. You didn't here Sara screamin' after she collapsed. When my Doctor took her to the infirmary, it was the most horrible sound I heard."

Ten looked at Sara who stared at the ground in response. She didn't know what to say.

"Begged him not to strap her down, run more tests that she would be good. 'S that what you did?" Rose asked.

"She-"

"IS IT?" She yelled. They jumped.

Ten looked at Rose before him, so utterly real, so beautiful but her eyes livid. The part of him that had buried his emotions was starting to emerge. _What have I done?_

"Yes." He was unable to lie to her.

"Then how are you the Doctor?" she asked as tears started to emerge. "Because my Doctor helped them and you…" Her voice trailed. "Want to lock my friends away."

Ten glanced at the two girls he had in his grasp. Sara was muttering something under her breath. It sounded like a prayer. Her eyes were unfocused as she looked ahead listlessly. Lilly was quiet, trembling at his touch but looking at Rose with a sense of wonder. He finally answered. "I'm sorry." He was uncertain of who he was extending the apology to, whether it was Rose or the girls he held that seemed fearful of him.

"Be my Doctor again, then." Rose whispered. "Make it right. You still can."

Ten trembled as he looked at Rose feeling his love for her sweep over him but in his reality she was already gone. He had the dream of her that haunted him every moment but in this moment, she was standing right here, in front of him.

"I don't know how." For the first time in weeks, his voice shook, sounding fractured.

"Don't you?" Ten suddenly turned to see Nine standing behind him. "You can't remember?"

"You don't know," said Ten pulling Sara and Lilly with him as he turned so Nine was on his left and Rose on his right. He looked hard at Nine. "You don't know what's coming."

"Already survived the worst case scenario. Didn't make me give up. What could be worse than what's already happened? Worse than losing Gallifrey?" Nine stated.

"Who's Gallifrey?" asked Rose, looking at Nine.

Neither Doctor answered. But each of them, glanced quickly at Rose in unison, and frowned, before turning his gaze back to his other self.

"It's his planet," Lilly whispered quickly to Rose, gaining a surprised glance from Nine.

"What could be worse?" Nine repeated his question.

"I can't."

"What. Could. Be. Worse?!"

"Losing Rose!" shouted Ten.

Nine took in a surprised breath, and stiffened. He paused to take in the possibilities. He paused to try to make sense of the situation. And he paused to push away the grief he didn't yet have to feel about losing another friend.

"Losing a companion? We've lost friends before." Nine didn't understand. This didn't make sense. Yes. He liked Rose. She was fun. She had an uncanny sense of finding trouble. And she seemed to care about everyone. But why would losing her push him over the edge.

"She's not just another companion." Ten's face flashed more grief and sorrow than any face should be able to show. He took a deep breath, and tried to speak. "She... she's..." As his voice broke, Sara saw into Ten's eyes. She saw the pain he'd been holding at bay. She saw the emptiness he'd been hiding from. And she saw the love he had for that single short-lived human girl who stood only a few feet away from him. How could anyone endure suffering that much? How could anyone be that alone? And how was it possible he was still sane?

Ten released his hold on Sara and Lilly. He stepped back, and ran his hands over his face. Instantly, his features hardened. All the emotion previously assaulting him disappeared along with the pain in his eyes. But when he stepped forward to regain his hold on his prisoners, they bolted from him. Sara stood her ground next to Rose, and Lilly stood half hiding behind Nine.

Ten clenched his jaw, and gave each of his would be wards a calculated glare.

"Maybe..." Rose interrupted the tension, and looked at Nine. "Maybe you should take me home." If he was going to lose her anyway, if losing her would devastate him so completely, if losing her would turn him into a monster, maybe taking her home was the best option.

"NO!"

Rose jumped at the three 'no's' coming from Sara, Lilly, and Ten. Nine's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I don't want to hurt you, yeah," Rose tried to explain. "Certainly don't want to die."

Nine nodded. He frowned. He would miss Rose terribly. There were so many places he still wanted to take her. But if this was the result of bringing her with him, maybe it was best for Rose to go home.

"Lord Doctor," Lilly addressed Ten. Nine turned to look at his ward in surprise. "How much can we tell them without causing a paradox?"

"Think it might be a bit late for that," he answered her. "And you traveling with them is only going to make it worse." His voice was cold, angry.

"I'm... I'm not traveling with them."

All four people turned to look at Lilly. Ten looked surprised. Sara looked horrified. Rose and Nine looked confused.

"Nothing's changed," explained Lilly. "I know how dangerous messing with timelines can be." She put her hand on Nine's arm. "I'm not supposed to be here," she told him. "I'm changing events."

"It won't make any difference," Sara tried to make Lilly understand. "If you travel with him," she nodded towards ten, "you'll change events there too. I did." Sara brought her hands up to rub her arms. "Christina from 'Planet of the Dead'," Sara used code words to make sure she wouldn't create a paradox.

"Planet of the Dead?" repeated Ten.

"She's dead because of me. My presence changed what happened with the Cybermen . And... and he should have snapped out of the Time Lord Victorious by now, but somehow I effected that too. The point is it doesn't matter which Doctor you travel with, you're going to change events no matter what. So, stay with Nine. He's safer, you can trust him, and he'd never do anything cruel."

Cruel. There it was, another word from that blasted dream. If Ten didn't know better, he'd think whoever had invaded his mind had access to knowledge about future events.

"The further back you go in the Doctor's timeline, the more damage you can cause," Lilly tried again. "Just look what we've done here. You know if Rose doesn't travel with the Doctor, everyone, everyone in every universe dies. And now she's thinking about going home. We're dangerous." She took a deep breath. "You should be with us too." The last sentence she'd spoken tasted weird, and Lilly grimaced.

Sara needs to be here too. The sentence echoed in Lilly's mind.

"How do you mean, 'everyone'?" asked Rose.

"Hold on," said Nine, concern on his face. "You time sensitive too?" he asked Sara.

"No, I..." Sara looked at Lilly. What should she say? Lilly'd told Sara not to tell Nine about where they came from. She'd said he wouldn't believe her. But after all he'd done for her, she didn't want to lie to him. "I'm not time sensitive."

"She's got the same delusion about seeing us on the tele as Lilly," explained Ten. "I think it might have something to do with how their minds translate information from the time vortex into something they can understand."

"Delusional! Excuse me!" Sara was angry. "You self-righteous. Pompous. Arrogant. No-it-all. Arse!"

Ten's eyes turned dark, and he raised his chin ever so slightly.

"You have nooooo idea what you're talking about." Sara turned her attention to Lilly. "You're right. What we are is beyond Time Lord comprehension."

Sara's look was hard, and she hoped how she'd worded what she'd just said would bug the hell out of Ten. But she'd forgotten it would also bug the hell out of Nine.

"I'm never going back to you," Sara continued. "Lilly, he's manipulating you. That's what he does. He threatens, manipulates, crawls inside your mind, makes you do what he thinks is best. You've got to listen to me. I know him. I've seen what he's done."

"Sara." Ten's tone was sharp, and he gave her a stern look. "You need to come with me. You are more dangerous than your human mind has the capability to understand."

"Dangerous?" Sara nodded. "You want to see dangerous." She gritted her jaw, remembering every time he'd taken away her choices, every time he'd forced her to do something. "Here's dangerous, Doctor." She spat out his name with disdain. "Gallifrey is returning."

Both Doctor's stiffened.

"That's right. Gallifrey is returning, and along with it she's bringing EVERYTHING. The horde of travesties. The nightmare child. The would have been king with his army of meanwhiles and neverweres. That's your future, Time Lord Victorious. Hell will be descending." Sara seemed to calm slightly thinking about what she'd just said.

"Sara," asked Lilly, "what have you done?" She moved closer to Sara, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing that would cause a paradox," she answered.

"You see," Ten almost shouted at Nine. "Do you see how dangerous they are? She didn't even use the energy." Ten turned to Rose. "Please keep traveling with him. I know this looks bad. But they're right. If you go home, there won't be anyone left. And if you stay with him, I promise, I swear, you'll have a fantastic life. You'll get to see your dad again. I know how much that meant to you. You'll get to... I'd give you the universe, Rose. But... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I can't risk the lives of everyone in the universe to do what you want now. Even for you, I won't."

Rose stared at Ten, trying to make sense of him.

"Lilly, it's time to go," said Ten, not taking his eyes off Rose.

"I'll miss you," said Lilly. She reached out to shake Sara's hand. But as soon as Sara took Lilly's hand, Lilly slipped one of the thin bracelets she was wearing over her hand and onto Sara's wrist.

"What are you..."

Ten whipped out his sonic screwdriver. "I love you," he told Rose, "Forever. His words were soft. He activated his device. Instantly, Nine and Rose found themselves standing alone. Ten had won. He'd captured Sara and Lilly. They were his now.

Nine moved with incredible speed, taking Rose by the hand. "Got to hurry," he said, racing towards his Tardis.

"Wha' are we gonna do?" The worry in Rose's voice was evident.

"Got this from his Tardis," explained Nine, pulling a device from his pocket. "When he tries to dematerialize, he'll end up in my console room. Need to be there when he shows up."

Sara, Lilly and Ten found themselves in the sickbay of his TARDIS and the two girls collapsed on the ground feeling dizzy and disoriented from the transmat teleport they went through. Sara felt as what little she consumed was about to be vomited straight onto the floor. Lilly was gasping as she clutched her head in agony undoubtedly new to the experience.

Ten had grabbed both their arms hauling them up onto the sickbay beds and despite wanting to resist, the growing sense of nausea kept having the room turn off kilter. He quickly activated the nanites and Lilly let out a gasp. _She's not familiar with them. _Sara through her so many unfortunate experiences had grown used with the strange, glowing robotic healing devices as Ten promptly conducted an exam on each girl. "Transmat induced idiopathic neuropathy." He said succinctly. "You'll be fine."

Sara felt a fury overwhelm her as she managed to push herself off the bed, staring at Lilly

"What, it wasn't enough to violate my mind? Had to do it with Lilly too? Make her do your dirty work?" Sara spat.

"I did what was necessary." Ten replied coldly.

"What was necessary." Sara repeated. "You lying, cheating bastard. You don't deserve Rose at all. I'm glad she's gone because God knows, that Rose already sees you as the sociopath you are. That's her last memory of you. So much for good impressions."

Ten's eyes darkened as he stared at Sara.

"Sara, we need to be with him. We'll have less chance of creating a paradox. The fate of two humans is less important then the entire universe." Lilly advised. She felt horrid of what she had done but she had tried to do what was right. She didn't want to cause any further damage to the time stream. What if Nine died because of her? She didn't think she could bear it. The universe would most certainly die as a result. But that wasn't the only thing that riddled her conscience. She had helped Ten turn Sara back over to him. Back into the arms of the person who abused her. It was a huge betrayal. At least, she would be with Sara so she wouldn't have to be so alone. Like Sara said, they had each other now.

"Lilly, you don't know what you're saying." Sara told her sadly. "He got inside your head. He's done it to me so many times and the few times I only manages to keep him out were by sheer chance and…" How did she keep him out? She had to think hard. This was important for Lilly and might break whatever control he had on her. What did she know that Lilly didn't? They had all the information from watching the show but what did she know-. Sara paused and stiffened remembering the book on The History of the Time War. _No, I swore I wouldn't. _But, it seemed to make sense. The telepathic cries inside her mind. She thought she was calling Doctor but could she be calling something else? Another name entirely?

She swallowed. This was a burden she would put on Lilly but if she got Lilly back to Nine, he might be able to remove the memory or Lilly could take responsibility and keep it forever a secret. _I'm so sorry, Lilly. You shouldn't have to know this. I'm so sorry. _But it was the only way she could think to break Ten's hold of her at the moment.

Ten was still staring at her suspiciously so she allowed herself to give into tears and he sighed, shaking his head and she went to Lilly wrapping her arms around the girl as if to seek comfort. Lilly embraced her in response.

Being as discreet as she could, she quietly whispered something in her new friends ear. Lilly's eyes widened in response and then Sara stepped back shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She muttered. "Say it in your mind. " She told Lilly and then she turned to Ten glaring at him fiercely. "It will keep this psycho out of your thoughts."

Power was smoldering off of him as he looked at her more incensed then ever. Sara shook her head. "Can't do it anymore. Can't violate my mind or hers. We both know it now!" She shrieked. "I won't let her be helpless to you like I was. You thought I wouldn't figure it out. I even kept it to myself for so long as a matter of respect. I told you it was an accident. Oh, but no, I was greedy." Sara backed away from him. "But I won't let you do to her what you did to me." She pointed to Lilly. "Now she knows exactly how to fight you."

Lilly's face suddenly cleared. "Oh my God. What have I done." She whispered as she stared at Ten.

She turned to Sara, her body shaking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know-" She closed her eyes. "His name, you told me his name."

Ten was seething but he was running low on time. Nine could be at his TARDIS at any moment. "I'll deal with you two later."

He raced out of the sickbay to the console and input the dematerialization procedures into the navigational computer and was relieved that everything went according to plan. He had managed to navigate his TARDIS safely into the Vortex and soon he would rematerialize in his own dimension, on Earth since the Master still needed to be dealt with. It now came time to confront his two willful prisoners that he managed to yank back from the arms of his predecessor.

Ten returned to the sickbay delivering Lilly and Sara each a cold stare. "There. It's done. Now we are in 2009, home sweet home. Now what to do with the two of you?"

Lilly exchanged a frightened glance at Sara. "Doctor," She started. "Lord Doctor," In her attempts to calm him. "We are too dangerous for you to have around. Remember you said it yourself. How unsafe we are. We can go, stay out of your way." She shivered as he started to approach. "I'm sorry you lost Rose. I'm sorry she broke your heart but," She thought briefly of his future, "There are so many good things waiting in your future that will mend it if you give it a chance. I promise. I can't tell you specifics but I know that you'll be all right. The people you'll meet. You'll have friends, wonderful friends, they'll help you to heal." She took a deep breath. "It won't be the same if we are there."

"She's right. It won't be. I already did enough harm on my own. You were never supposed to be like this. Christina should have still been alive." Sara gritted her teeth. "I should of told you." She told Lilly. "It hardly matters now. I insisted that Christina be brought along as another companion. I wanted a friend so badly. I was so alone. I tried to avoid him going to Mars at all but-" Sara shook her head. "He wanted me to _face _my fears. Told me it was another planet we landed on but it was just another name for Mars. Knocked me out, dragged me onto the surface. Christina died." Sara choked. "And then Adelaide…Oh God, it was my fault. He took her gun away from her because I told him he would kill herself if he didn't allow her to die in the explosion. I tried to shoot her myself and I just couldn't. Couldn't take a life and then Adelaide rushed me, the gun went off." Sara closed her eyes remembering the Doctor's inhuman cry. "He chased me down, locked me in my room, told me it would be my home for the next sixty years."

Lilly looked at her in horror and then back at Ten. No wonder he didn't want to discuss it. Did he not feel any guilt at all? "He called me a murderer. Told me Christina's death was my responsibility, my fault."

"I told you the truth." Ten said dryly. "I control the rules of time. You interfered."

"You tried to damage reality! A fixed point in time!" Sara shouted. "You used to be better then that."

"You need to let us go." Lilly begged. "You can still get back on track but not with us here."

Ten moved forward and seized their arms dragging them into the console room. "And where would you go?" He asked. "Your Doctor is gone. You're in my reality now and you two aren't leaving."

He stared at Lilly. "And I was sure we could be friends but Sara had to give you my name, didn't she?"

"I thought you were the Doctor." Lilly murmured not meeting his glare her voice leaden with disappointment. This man didn't behave like the Doctor at all.

"Hypnotizing her is not the same thing as having a friend." Sara replied. "You used to know the difference. I had no choice."

Ten gritted his teeth. Glancing down, he noticed strange readings on his console. He needed to check the perimeter. "I'm going to take a look outside but I won't be far so no tricks Sara. Already know that stunt you've pulled before. There is where for you to go this time."

_Nowhere for me to go. _Sara thought. _True for me but Lilly…_

Without a word, he opened the door, exiting the TARDIS, slamming it shut behind him.

Sara closed her eyes. All the pain and agony was circling around her. She turned to Lilly. "You still have a chance to get out of here. Lead a normal life. He can't track you since there is no energy signature like I have. Use what I do as a distraction. Run. Try to get to Torchwood. Jack will help you."

Lilly looked at her immediately wary. "But what about you?" _What is she talking about?_

"I'm a weapon. You heard what he said. I'm just too dangerous to be left alive. I should of succeeded at what I tried before." She swallowed hard. "Lilly Brooks, thank you. For the first time you gave me hope and I'm glad for it. Just get out, run. Just go. I gave you his name. You have that power too. I'm so sorry." She knew Lilly might not fully understand but she had to do what was necessary. _This is my sacrifice. My gift. _She smiled at Lilly as she seized the handle of the scissors in her back pocket and without hesitation she jammed the razor sharp edges into her chest. "Sorry. So sorry." She whispered as Lilly screamed. Ten would be distracted with her and Lilly could get away. It was worth it to defeat him at last and despite any of his efforts, her aim was clear. How could he possibly save her? "Run, just run, when Ten…" Her heartbeat was starting to slow as she began to close her eyes. Maybe she would finally go home at last.

"What the hell are you doing!" Lilly shouted at Sara. She glared at her. "You're giving up just like him," she accused, and bolted towards the TARDIS doors. "Doctor!" she shouted as she opened and ran through the exit. She had to find Ten before it was too late.

Lilly ran from the console room into... the console room. What?! She looked up to see Nine and Ten in a staring contest. She was in the ninth Doctor's TARDIS. "Sara's tried to kill herself!" Lilly didn't wait to see what was going on. Rose gasped, Nine swore under his breath, and Ten rolled his eyes.

"Not again!" he shouted, running towards his Tardis. "Can't leave her alone for two minutes..."

Ten bolted into his Tardis instantly swooping down to pick Sara up into his arms. She was already soaked in blood, and unconscious. He ran down the corridor followed quickly by Nine, leaving Rose and Lilly to catch up.

By the time Rose and Lilly reached the med bay, the two Doctors were busy preforming major surgery on Sara. The two of them worked as a team, speaking in Gallifreyan, and passing equipment back and forth with precision and speed.

"It's like they know what the other wants before..."

"They're supposed to be the same person," answered Lilly.

"I hope she makes it."

"Two Doctors fighting for her? She'll be fine." But Lilly didn't know. She was worried. And she was angry. Why would Sara do something so stupid? Yes, she told Lilly to run. She told her to find Jack. She knew somehow the Doctor was able to trace Sara, but Lilly could have run without Sara getting hurt. If anything, Sara working as a distraction would have given Lilly more time to get help.

"She must have been desperate."

"Maybe the other Doctor was right to keep her locked up the way he did," said Rose. "Maybe everything Sara said he did was to keep her from hurting herself."

Lilly swallowed. "He touched my mind. Made me help him get her back. I didn't have a choice. I can't imagine what that's been like for her. How long she's felt trapped. How many times he must have gone into her mind."

"Not the Doctor then."

"I just don't know."

The two girls stood silently in the med bay doorway watching the scene for the next hour, while Nine and Ten worked feverishly to save their ward. Finally, finishing up with the dermal regenerator, both Doctors let out a sigh of relief. Nine waved his sonic screwdriver over Sara's body, glancing at the results. He looked up at the monitor streaming Gallifreyan symbols at the head of Sara's bed, while Ten brushed a strand of hair away from Sara's face.

"She's so young," said Ten. "Not even fifty years old."

Nine looked at Ten in surprise.

"She's the last of her kind. The only survivor from her world, her dimension. And all she wants to do is die." He looked up at Nine. "Sound familiar?"

Nine understood. Ten was referring to how they'd felt after losing Gallifrey. Not giving up, continuing to live on was one of the most difficult things they'd ever had to do. But no matter what they'd had to suffer, no matter who they'd lost, no matter how hopeless a situation looked, they never stopped. They chose to live on.

"What about Lilly?" asked Nine.

"They're not from the same place," answered Ten. "The biosignature is completely wrong. You were right. She's not... She couldn't be from another dimension. But she's still time sensitive. I just don't know why. I think Sara's time sensitivity comes from the energy her body is creating. It somehow connects her to the time vortex. Just haven't figured out how yet. But I have no idea what makes Lilly time sensitive. She doesn't have any of the usual markers or energy echoes. She's something we've never... something no Time Lord has ever seen before."

Nine nodded. "What are we going to do with her?" he asked Ten, nodding towards Sara.

"I'm keeping them both." Ten's voice was firm. "There are things you have to do, things you can't do if they're with you. And you can see how much I care about what happens to her." Ten smiled at Nine. "I can see why you like Lilly too. I don't remember her yet. Timelines still out of sync, an' all that. I'll take good care of her though. You know I will."

Nine pursed his lips. "You used telepathy on Lilly."

"Yup." Ten popped the 'p' unapologetically. "Universal survival at stake. They can't travel with you. Even Lilly's told you that. She's already changed events."

Nine crossed his arms.

"Charles Dickens wasn't supposed to die the way he did. And Lilly knows it," explained Ten. "All the other collateral damage wasn't supposed to happen either. Only two humans would have died on that trip, if she hadn't been there. She changed events on Platform One as well. You could tell if I was lying."

Nine uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, hands resting on the side of Sara's bed. He looked seriously across the bed at Ten. "Alright," he conceded. "I never would have agreed to this if I hadn't seen you with Sara. She's obviously sick. But you need to take better care of her. Make sure you feed her and..."

"That was her choice. I was just lucky I caught her in time."

"And you have to be gentle with Lilly. She's not like any companion we've ever had. She's..."

"Skittish? Yeah, I noticed."

"And you have to be honest with her. Unless it will cause a paradox or get someone killed, you can't lie to her."

Ten grimaced. "Why did you make that deal with her?" He shook his head.

Nine smiled. "Might be surprised. Kinda nice to have someone to talk to."

Ten chuckled. "Maybe."

"Know you can't keep humans locked up either. Social creatures. Lockin' 'em up is cruel."

Ten's nostrils flared. There was that word again. Cruel. "And what would you suggest?" he asked, his tone sharp. "They'll just run off, if I let them out of the Tardis."

"Lilly won't. Just explain it to her. First companion ever to stay put when told."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. Never thought I'd live to see that." Ten's surprise was evident.

"Sara needs her freedom too. You know humans."

"She can't be trusted," said Ten simply.

The two Time Lords stood quietly for a few minutes.

"S'pose I could come up with a leash," Ten finally spoke. "Something to keep her safe, but give her some freedom at the same time."

Nine nodded. "Least 'till she's stable."

The Doctors stood quietly again. The fate of their wards was decided.

"So," said Nine.

"So," answered Ten.

"Rose?"

"Oh, yes." Ten grinned devilishly. "You have no idea."

Nine chuckled, and glanced back at his blond companion. She was kinda nice to look at. He was suddenly filled with a desire to protect her.

"Guess we'll be off then. Don't want to leave those cracks open any longer than we have to."

"Right," answered Ten.

He watched as the ninth Doctor walked over to Lilly and Rose. He was explaining things, and they were saying goodbye.

Ten leaned down to Sara. "Thank you," he said softly in her ear. "If you hadn't pulled this little stunt, I probably would have lost you. You and Lilly both." Sara moaned quietly in response, shaking her head slightly like she was having a nightmare. Ten smiled.

"Guess you know you've got to stay with him," Nine told Lilly. He whipped out his sonic and gave Lilly a quick scan, just to be sure she was alright.

Lilly shook her head. "I don't want to," she whispered. "If... if I can, I'd rather stay with you."

Nine grimaced. "I'm sorry." He swallowed. "He's right. You know he's right."

Tears sprang to Lilly's eyes, and she looked at the ground. "I'm going to miss you," she managed.

"If you don't want to travel with him, why don't we just take her home, yeah?" asked Rose.

"She can't go home," answered the Doctor. "She's too dangerous to be left on her own."

"That's...'s not right," said Rose. "You never said."

"Rose," Nine tried. "I'm sorry." He looked at his two companions. "Say goodbye," he ordered.

Rose glared at Nine. But turned to Lilly. She could see the fear in Lilly's face, the tears in her eyes, and the sisterly love Lilly felt for Rose. They hugged.

"Maybe you can get him to at least bring you round to mum's for tea. Just 'cause your travelin' doesn't mean we can't see each other, yeah?"

"Yeah." Lilly nodded. "I'll ask him. He's still the Doctor."

Rose stepped away from Lilly, and headed towards Sara.

"Be quick," said Nine. "Need to get goin'."

Rose walked over to Ten. Sara was still asleep.

"Hi."

He smiled at her.

"Hi."

"Just wanted to say sorry," offered Rose.

"Sorry?" Ten looked at her, puzzled.

"For making you so sad. For dyin' or leavin' or whatever it is I do that hurts you so much." Rose felt guilty for whatever it was she did to contribute to making the Doctor so hard.

Ten reached out and pulled Rose in for a hug. He held her close against him, memorizing how she felt, her smell, the sound of her breath. He never thought he'd see her again, his Rose. But here she was, in his arms. Could he keep her? Was there any way he could take her with him? Ten racked his brain with every idea he could come up with. He checked timelines, and possible paradoxes he could create and maintain. No. It was a fact. If he kept her with him, he would have died on the game station. It was fixed. He couldn't keep her. He was having to give her up... again. It wasn't fair.

"Oi." The ninth Doctor gave Ten a jealous look.

Ten stepped back from Rose. "Sorry."

After Rose and Nine left the TARDIS, Lilly stood next to Sara's bed in the infirmary. She knew Ten would be starting the dematerialization sequence as soon as the piece of the TARDIS Nine had taken was reinstalled. They'd be leaving soon, and Lilly was a little scared. She knew Nine and Ten were the same man. But Ten was so different. He was terrifying.

"Lilly?" Sara's voice croaked, and Lilly instantly brought a cup of water to her lips. "You didn't get away." Tears started to slip from the corners of Sara's eyes into her hair.

"It's Ok," said Lilly. "We've still got each other. And he's still the Doctor. You'll see." Lilly's bottom lip quivered, and she put the cup down on the table next to the bed.

"Where are we," ask Sara.

"We're parked on Nine's Tardis," answered Lilly. "We'll be leaving in just a minute."

"Can't he help us?" Sara's voice begged.

Lilly shook her head. "He said we have to go with Ten. He said we were effecting his timeline." Lilly hung her head and looked at the ground. It was all she could do to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry," Sara cried softly. "It's all my fault. I've trapped you with him."

"Don't talk like that. Everything's alright."

"Yes. It is."

Sara sat up with a start, clutching her blanket to her chest. Lilly spun around to see Ten standing in the doorway. She swallowed.

"You won," Sara spat out, glaring at him.

Ten smiled. "'Course I did." His smile disappeared. "I always win. Didn't you hear me? I'm not just a survivor. I'm the winner, Sara. The laws of time are mine. Just like you. You're mine."

Instinctively Lilly stepped back when he stepped forward. "This isn't right," she said. "You're the Doctor. You're..."

"And what else?" The alien's eye stared directly into Lilly's. "Tell her Sara. Who am I?"

"He's the Time Lord Victorious... or the Valeyard."

"Don't," he warned. "I'm not the Valeyard." He gave each of the girls a dark stare. They shivered in response.

"What now?" asked Sara.

"Well, first I think there's the matter of the apology you owe me."

"Apology?" she asked.

"Self-righteous. Pompous. Arrogant. No-it-all. Arse," the Doctor repeated Sara's words. "Sound familiar?"

Sara's blood chilled. He'd been frustrated with her before. He'd been irritated. He'd even been tired of her. But he'd never been this angry. He'd never been so furious.

"I'm sorry," Sara said the words so fast, she hadn't even had time to think about it. She was scared. With all he'd been willing to do to her before, what would he do when he was angry.

Lilly began stepping back and away from Sara slowly. _The Time Lord Victorious,_ she thought. The other Doctor never would have left them with him, if he knew. She had to tell him. It wasn't too late yet. They hadn't dematerialized.

Ten's attention continued to be focused on Sara. He was standing right next to her now. He was standing next to her bed, towering over her. Lilly glanced back quickly, and turned to go through the door. It didn't move. The door didn't move. She pushed harder. It wouldn't budge!

"Going somewhere, Lilly?"

She turned around to see the Time Lord Victorious glaring at her. His face was hard, his jaw tight.

"One chance," he said. "One chance. That's what I gave you."

"I...I didn't leave you," she said. Ten moved quickly, standing in front of Lilly. "I didn't break your rules."

"Don't lie to me. I know exactly what you were about to do. Run tattle to daddy." Ten reached up, and brushed a strand of Lilly's hair behind her ear.

She cringed at his touch.

"So young," he whispered to himself. "Not even fifty years old."

"Please..."

"Don't." Ten looked at her sharply. "I'm going to touch your mind now, Lilly."

Instinctively, she tried to step back. But just as before, he was too quick. "And you're not going to try to stop me." His hands were on the sides of her head, her hands again on his wrists. "I want my name back. And you're going to let me take it."

Lilly glanced behind the Doctor. Sara had a chair raised up in the air. In one swift stroke she brought it down to hit the Doctor. He caught it. Without even turning around, without any exertion or stress or reaction, he'd released one hand from Lilly's head and caught the chair. He pulled it from Sara's grasp causing her to stumble forward. And before she had time to react, he had her too. Sara's head in his right hand, Lilly in his left, two fingers on each of their temples. He held their heads against the wall for leverage.

"Not smart, Sara," he chided her. "Two for the price of one." He smiled. "Maybe what I did to Donna is what's best here." That was an idle threat but he was determined that both girls would no longer have his name.

Dimly Sara heard the TARDIS groan around them, which the Doctor apparently ignored.

"NO!" Sara tried to struggle out of his grip.

"Please," Lilly begged.

"No second chan..."

The girls started when they heard the TARDIS begin it's wheezing sound. Ten's smile grew.

"He's leaving," said Ten. "Just us now."

Sara reached out, grabbing hold of Lilly's hand, tears started from her eyes.

"What?!" Ten shouted. "What?!"

Sara and Lilly stared as Ten began to take on the look of being transparent. Little by little he began to fade away.

"What's happening?" asked Lilly.

"Is it a paradox?" asked Sara, wondering if something had happened to Nine.

"Nope. Not a paradox," answered a familiar voice.

The infirmary was gone. Sara and Lilly stood in the console room of Nine's Tardis with Rose and Nine.

"Oh, my gosh!" cried Lilly. Sara and Lilly ran towards Rose and Nine. Rose joined them in a three-way hug, but Nine was still busy with the TARDIS controls, taking them back to their proper universe. All three girls were crying. Incoherent words of joy and relief were exchanged.

"What... What happened?" ask Lilly.

"How did we get away? ask Sara.

"I thought I'd never see you again," said Rose.

"Nah," answered Nine. "Never let that happen, me."

Suddenly, the whole TARDIS shook. Nine's face turned serious.

"Wha' was that?" asked Rose.

"Other Doctor's tryin' to get clever." The Doctor grimaced.

"Hold on?" said Nine.

"Wha'?" asked Rose.

"Energy's wrong."

The Doctor smiled and flipped several levers. "There. All done." The vibrations in the Tardis stilled. "We're safe."

"How do you mean energy's wrong?"

"'s not my TARDIS," answered Nine. "He wasn't me." All the stress in Nine's face disappeared, instantly replaced with the biggest grin any of his companions had ever seen. "TARDIS runs on energy from our reality. An' that energy doesn't match our reality."

"He wasn't you?" asked Rose.

"Nope. Well. Alternate version of what could be, s'pose." Nine looked at Sara, and grimaced. "Almost lost you." He was referring to how she'd almost died.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't... I thought..."

Nine wrapped his arms quickly around his new companion, giving her a quick peck on the top of the head.

"I could have lost you," he repeated. "Don't ever do that again," he ordered. "Don't ever give up."

"Ok," Sara answered. Instantly, she began to cry, breaking into sobs. _Can it really be over? Is this just a dream too?_

"Said I'd keep you safe. Keep my word, me."

"You said we had to stay with..." Lilly's voice broke as the Doctor pulled her into a hug too.

"Sorry, Lilly. Couldn't let him know my plan. He'd 've been able to counter me, if he found out. Thought he'd figured it out there for a minute when I had to scan each of you. Was afraid he was thinkin' 'bout keeping Rose for a minute there too." Nine pulled Rose into their group hug, and the friends stayed like that for several minutes, feeling safe, being filled with relief and joy and every feeling words would never be enough to explain.

Rose was glad her Doctor didn't have to be like the other one. Lilly was happy to be snuggled in a hug between friends. The Doctor was eternally grateful it was no longer predestined for him to lose Rose. And Sara was in a state of wonder. Her home was gone but maybe she had just finally found a new one.

Ten stood up in his TARDIS. Something had happened. What was it? What happened? Oh. He remembered now. His past self had sent the wrong kind of energy into his Tardis. The backlash caused his console to explode, decimating three fourths of his console room, forcing his TARDIS to jettison all the other rooms she'd currently held, and pulled him through to yet another alternate universe. It was a miracle he was still alive. On top of all that his Tardis was crashing. With a new purpose in his movements, the Doctor began running around his broken console trying to hold his TARDIS in flight. It wouldn't do any good. There just wasn't enough power left. And the energy in this reality was all wrong. The only energy he had was what was left in the back up system he'd installed years ago after accidentally ending up in Pete's World. It wasn't enough to prevent a crash, but it would keep him alive.

What's that? questioned the Doctor silently as he saw a flash on his view screen. It was the other TARDIS. The Doctor grinned. He brushed his long brown hair out of his bright green eyes. And with his new voice warned, "You wanted the Valeyard, Sara?" He grinned, an evil look covering his face. "Your wish is my command."

**A/N: You guys need to let us know how much interest there is for us to continue on this storyline with the Valeyard and continue this crossover. As we said it is A/U. Do you guys want to know what happens when the Valeyard takes on the three of them or leave it as a mystery? You're feedback will help us decide. Thank you.**


	4. Paradox

**From Chapter 3**

_Ten stood up in his TARDIS. Something had happened. What was it? What happened? Oh. He remembered now. His past self had sent the wrong kind of energy into his Tardis. The backlash caused his console to explode, decimating three fourths of his console room, forcing his TARDIS to jettison all the other rooms she'd currently held, and pulled him through to yet another alternate universe. It was a miracle he was still alive. On top of all that his Tardis was crashing. With a new purpose in his movements, the Doctor began running around his broken console trying to hold his TARDIS in flight. It wouldn't do any good. There just wasn't enough power left. And the energy in this reality was all wrong. The only energy he had was what was left in the back up system he'd installed years ago after accidentally ending up in Pete's World. It wasn't enough to prevent a crash, but it would keep him alive._

_What's that? questioned the Doctor silently as he saw a flash on his view screen. It was the other TARDIS. The Doctor grinned. He brushed his long brown hair out of his bright green eyes. And with his new voice warned, "You wanted the Valeyard, Sara?" He grinned, an evil look covering his face. "Your wish is my command."_

**Chapter 4**

Watching the other TARDIS and knowing he was now in his counterpart's reality rather then the parallel universe they had both previously visited, he used

the remaining energy left on his TARDIS, and activated the Temporal Fusion Core blasting a huge wave of energy that radiated behind him throughout the entire universe. The Valeyard knew the resulting wave was cataclysm and the resulting paradox was massive causing the very fabric of Nine's universe to literarily tear itself apart. It was all worth it, to destroy a universe so his previous regeneration could get his hands on both girls for they were powerful. Then when his previous self would regenerate again into the Valeyard, he would have everything. The time coordinates he set with his warning when the two girls were still in the sickbay would with all luck give his predecessor a chance to accomplish everything he had planned. What was one universe anyway compared to all the power he could achieve with Sara and Lilly firmly in his control?

"Geronimo!" He laughed as he was throttled through the fabric of time already having calculated the destination of his arrival. _That's the point. My second chance, two for the price of one._

* * *

"I'm going to touch your mind now Lilly." Ten looked at her sharply.

Instinctively, she tried to step back. But just as before, he was too quick. "And you're not going to try to stop me." His hands were on the sides of her head, her hands again on his wrists. "I want my name back. And you're going to let me take it."

Lilly glanced behind the Doctor.

Sara had a chair raised up in the air. In one swift stroke she started to bring it down to hit the Doctor. A brief flash of light radiated through the sickbay and Sara felt the chair being yanked from her hands effortlessly. She turned and her eyes widened as she saw the Eleventh Doctor standing directly in front of her.

"Doctor-?" She tried but her stomach clenched in terror as she saw pure malevolence in his gaze.

"Now Sara, really? I'm insulted." His green eyes boar directly into hers as she realized the truth.

"The Valeyard." She whispered.

"Apple a day." He smirked at her, seizing her arms as she screamed tossing her across the room where she felt her head make contact with the unforgiving exterior of the medbay and she collapsed on the ground with a groan as she struggled to keep conscious. _Lilly…got to…he's…got to get…_ Black spots were dotting across her vision. She was fading in and out.

"The biological barrage in the Ancillary Power Station!" The Valeyard shouted to Ten as Sara watched the scene blearily, struggling to regain her sense of movement. She had to get back to Lilly. If the Valeyard was here, he was capable of anything with the resulting paradox. The damage he intended would be unfathomable. She clutched her head and winced. There was blood emerging from her scalp but she still had to try. _So dizzy._

Ten reacted instantly, changing position, seizing both of Lilly's arms and dragged her to the cell regeneration vaults forcing her inside, and to Sara's horror, locking her within the interior. She could hear Lilly screaming, pounding her fists against the new prison she had been placed into.

"Stop!" Sara cried out. "Let her out!" She forced herself to her feet looking around. The Valeyard was gone. Vanished. Had simply disappeared and now it was only Ten advancing upon her and her vision was becoming distorted. _What happened? I was on Nine's TARDIS and then…. _Nothing was making sense.

"Hurts me more then it hurts you." Sarcasm laced his tone as Sara shook her head frantically.

He seized her. "NO!" Sara tried to struggle out of his grip as he started to pull her backwards.

"No second chan..."

She started when they heard the TARDIS begin it's wheezing sound. Ten's smile grew.

"Warning came just in time," said Ten. "I've won. Just us now." He was propelling her near those dreaded medical capsules. "Please!" Sara screamed. "Don't do this. Let us-"

"What?!" Ten shouted. "What?!"

The room was becoming more transparent and Ten was starting to fade from view. Sara started to panic. _What is happening? Did I die? Am I a ghost?_

She could still see the vault where Ten had locked Lilly inside and tried to move away from Ten towards it but she was insubstantial, unable to do anything. "Oh God No!" She shrieked. Ten seemed to smirk glancing at the capsule. He knew what was happening even if Sara didn't and still saw his advantage. She was terrified.

"Please God." Sara started to pray. "Is this some sort of paradox?" She wondered if somehow the Valeyard had done something to Nine. He had been there. She had seen the Valeyard with her own eyes.

"Nope. Not a paradox," answered a familiar voice.

The infirmary was gone. Sara stood in the console room of Nine's TARDIS with Rose and Nine.

"What have you done?" cried Sara. Sara looked around in desperation. "I need to go back! Lilly's still there! The Valeyard. He was there!" She didn't know what to do and Rose only stared at her in shock. _Maybe if I get the door open, I can get back inside to Ten's TARDIS._ Nine was still busy with the controls, worry prominent on his expression.

The whole TARDIS was shaking and she started to hyperventilate.

Sara made a mad dash to the exit, simply knowing she would not abandon Lilly to the Time Lord Victorious. _This was never meant to happen._ She thought. _My fault. My fault. My fault. _ She thought wildly.

As she seized the handle, she felt Nine wrap his arms around her and she flailed against him. "Have to get her back! Please! You can't just leave her there!" Her voice started to break into sobs.

"Just listen. Going to get her back." He soothed. "Promise."

"Shouldn't have been her. Should of just left me there." Sara's body was shaking and her head was pounding. She could hardly think straight anymore.

"Nearly lost you once." He was referring to how'd she almost died. "Not doing it again."

"But Lilly-"

"Will take care of it." He said fervently as tears streamed down her face. "Said I'd keep you safe. Keep my word, me."

"Lilly's not safe. I swear, I saw him. I was here and then back there and the Valeyard… He was there. He-" Sara couldn't breathe, her skull palpitating and the entire console seemed to blur in front of her. Her entire body throbbed and in the distant haze she could only see Lilly's terrified features as Ten locked her inside one of those coffins she had been forced to endure herself. It came back to her, the swarm of glowing insects locked inside the darkness for what seemed like an eternity as she screamed to be released. "The bugs…" She murmured, remembering the nanites. "They'll eat you alive….eat her alive…" Then darkness descended over her propelling Sara back into the nightmare TARDIS where she was forced to face the Valeyard once more, as he chased her through corridors wanting nothing more to erase all her memories, even her own name.

Nine immediately lifted Sara up into his arms as soon as she lost consciousness as Rose looked on frantically.

"What do we do?" Rose demanded. "Can't leave Lilly to him!"

"They dematerialized but the tear to their universe is still open but…energy's wrong." Nine said.

"How d'you mean energy's wrong?" Rose asked.

"'s not my TARDIS," answered Nine. "He's not me." His anxiety gave way to perplexity as he was forced to contemplate what his dual dimension duplicate could do to Lilly. "TARDIS runs on energy from our reality. An' that energy doesn't match our reality."

"He wasn't you?" asked Rose.

"Nope. Well. Alternate version of what could be, s'pose." Nine looked at Rose, and grimaced.

"Then go after him!" Rose protested.

He looked at Rose with a somber expression. "Think 'bout it. Where we go. Could be a one way trip. Want to get Lilly back just as much as you."

Rose gasped at the implications. _Could never see Mum or Mickey…my friends…_ She swallowed. Lilly had been like her sister, the one she never had. Rose had to choose and it wasn't fair. The choice between her own family and saving the friend she had grown to love. _Mum's had eighteen years of me and Lilly…_ No. She couldn't desert Lilly now. Rose swallowed as a tear trickled down her cheek. "We need to get Lilly back." Her voice was hallow.

Nine nodded grimly knowing all too well the sacrifices he was making, risking everything for what could be a one way trip to another universe with a small chance of success.

But first, he needed to take care of Sara, make sure she was alright.

Nine carried his newest passenger into the infirmary, followed closely by Rose. He laid Sara on one of the beds, and immediately the monitor on the wall at the head of the bed sprung to life streaming Gallifreyan writing. He could see she was still healing from the surgery he and his counterpart had performed less than an hour ago. But she was doing well. Nine pursed his lips when he noticed Sara's blood seeping into her pillow. This would be so much easier, if they were at full power. Even the lights in the med bay were at half power.

Nine pressed several sequences of buttons on the side of the bed before moving to the console in the center of the room. He flipped two levers, and slammed his hand down on a large button. Several points of light began to scan Sara's body, sending the information to her monitor. The Doctor watched with careful eyes.

"Cracked skull," he told Rose. "Pressure on her brain. Cracked rib. Slipped disc. Sprained wrist." The Doctor stopped talking, fury boiling within him. He hadn't been gone ten minutes. Ten minutes, and his companion had been beaten within an inch of her life. If this was what ten minutes was like, what kind of state would Lilly be in when he got her back? Would she even be alive?

The Doctor turned off the scanner, and removed a device from one of the shelves in the center of the medical console. It looked like a cross between a hair dryer and a vacuum. He ran the vacuum like piece over Sara's head, and Rose could hear the bones crunch as they popped back into place.

Sara groaned. "Lilly... Valeyard..." After checking the monitor once more, the Doctor activated the mending bed.

Rose watched in amazement as the sides of the bed grew like sugar crystals forming a clear glass-like tank that entirely seal Sara inside. Then the tank began to fill with what looked like slightly blue hair gel. Rose had seen this before when Lilly needed medical attention. So, she didn't have many questions. But the process was still fascinating to watch. The gel slowly filled the tank, and covered Sara's entire body. At first she tried to choke on the gel, when it covered her face, her nose and mouth. But after a minute, she was breathing it as easily as she breathed in air.

Neither Rose nor the Doctor spoke. Their eyes were on their broken friend.

"Activate nanites," ordered the Doctor. Instantly, the gel was filled with tiny points of light swimming and swirling around Sara's body. Her clothes began to dissolve. And Rose watched as the nanites replaced them with a fine woven fabric protecting Sara's modesty. The new fabric allowed the mending gel easier access to the rest of Sara's body. While some of the nanites wove cloth, the others were concentrated on the areas where Sara's bones were broken. They were repairing the damaged osseous tissue, her skull and cracked rib.

The process only took minutes, but the Doctor seemed antsy. He knew the other Doctor would begin repairing the tear from his reality to the one they currently occupied as soon as he made it back to his home universe. Repairing a tear always took time. But the Doctor didn't know how much time they would have to get through. And Lilly was trapped on the other side. Besides that, he needed to start repairs on the tear from this reality to their home universe. He had to make sure both universes were safe.

"She's going to be alright. Yeah?" asked Rose.

The Doctor nodded. "Deactivate nanites," he ordered. "She'll be fine. Should leave her to soak in the mending gel." The Doctor shook his head. "Should have realized he wasn't me the moment I saw his med bay. Too many differences. Same technology. But different properties."

"'S not your fault."

He nodded again. "C'mon. The TARDIS will let us know when she's done." The Doctor led the way quickly back to the console room. "Are you sure about this? Going after Lilly?" he asked. "Never be able to go home. Never see your mum, your own mum. Or Mickey," he added with distaste. He watched her using his peripheral vision.

"I don't care. I'm not leavin' her. 'S not goin' a happen." She gave the Doctor her most serious look. How could he even ask?

He smiled at her. "Good," he answered as they made it back to the console room. He flipped a switch, and turned a dial. Maybe the other Doctor was right. Maybe Rose really was more than just another companion. She hadn't even hesitated. Still, maybe that was due to naivety.

The Doctor readied his Tardis. Unlike Rose though, he hesitated. He knew what he'd be giving up. Even if it all went well, even if they managed to get Lilly back, the Time Lord knew he'd be stuck. He'd be stuck living a linear life on Earth with no future traveling...ever. He'd already lost his friends, his family, his planet, and his species. Now, he would be losing his dimension, his TARDIS, his freedom, his way of life. And he'd be doing it by choice. He'd be giving it up for a simple human girl, a girl who wouldn't even last fifteen decades. She'd be gone before he even started to age. But he was the Doctor. She was his ward, his responsibility. And that's what the Doctor did. So, without another moment's hesitation, he used the last of the energy in his TARDIS to propel the time ship through the other crack in this universe into the next parallel.

As they were leaving he began frantically sending out leftover muon energy, the background radiation the TARDIS created, knitting the other crack in this universe closed. He had to make sure their original universe and the one they were currently leaving would be safe. A moment before they'd left the current parallel universe into the next, a moment before the repair to the tear in the fabric of reality was complete, before the door back to home was completely gone, the Doctor sensed it. He sensed it, and it was huge. It was beyond huge. He dropped to his knees and gasped.

"Doctor!" shouted Rose. She was immediately at his side. "What is it?! What's wrong?!"

"Nothing," responded the Doctor. He held the sides of his head, trying to hold back the wave that had hit him. He didn't want to tell Rose. He didn't want her to suffer, to grieve, to know what he knew. Their original universe was gone. If they'd chosen to leave Lilly, if they'd chosen to go home instead, they'd be dead. He was suffering the after effects of feeling the biggest paradox that could possibly exist. Someone or something had destroyed every fixed point of time ever created in their home universe. Someone or something had effectively murdered every soul who had ever or would ever live. They were all gone. Jackie, Mickey, all Rose's friends. Sarah Jane, Joe Grant, Jamie McCrimmon, all his companions. Not only were they gone, they had never existed. They'd been erased from time. The backlash of energy from that kind of time crash would have been enormous. If he hadn't repair the crack in the universe when he did, the parallel universe would have been destroyed too. The Doctor cringed at the thought. Someone must have needed a huge amount of energy to do something like that intentionally. Had the Time Lords escaped from the time lock? The Doctor couldn't think of a way something like that would happen naturally. If the walls of the universe hadn't insulated them against the paradox... It was too much to think about, too much to feel.

"That's not nothin'," said Rose. She gently put her hands on the Doctor's shoulders, trying to steady him. And was surprised when he melted into her. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, when he started to cry. Not just cry, the Doctor, the oncoming storm, the destroyer of worlds, the man who could strike fear in the hearts of false gods and demons, the protector of Earth, began to sob into Rose's side.

"Oh, Rose," was the only thing he could say. And Rose's heart melted for him. He was supposed to be the strong one. He was the one who understood time and dimension and space. She was just a shop girl, a human, a tag along. So, Rose immediately understood if whatever was bothering the Doctor could bring him crashing to his knees, it had to be bad, really, really bad.

"I'm sorry," said Rose. "Whatever it is. I'm sorry."

The Doctor held her closer, and wept.

* * *

After Ten had successfully sent his Tardis back to his home universe, he'd walked quickly back to the med bay. He still had business there. He may have lost Sara to his dimensional duplicate, but he still had Lilly to deal with. Honestly, if he knew then what he knew now, he probably would have let his counter part take both girls off his hands. Sara had been nothing but trouble. And having to watch over a time sensitive was only added responsibility. If he'd known the other Doctor wasn't actually him, he could have left the girls with him without having any fear of the paradoxes they could create. He might even have been able to get Rose to travel with him. She wouldn't be his Rose of course, he knew, but she was still Rose.

_Oh, Rose_, he thought. The Time Lord grimaced. He really wasn't looking forward to having to deal with this.

Lilly was trapped in a vertical cell regeneration vault. While the vaults came in all different styles, this one allowed her to stand up. It was cylindrical in shape with no window and no light. Lilly was in complete darkness, insulated from all light, sound, radiation, trasmat, or almost any other kind of energy. Being trapped in the device had even prevented the ninth Doctor from dematerializing Lilly off the TARDIS.

Lilly's bottom lip frowned deeply. There were tears in her eyes. And she was afraid. Her hands were shaking. She remembered what had just happened. She remembered the tenth Doctor threatening to wipe hers and Sara's minds. She remembered the relief of finding herself on Nine's TARDIS. She remembered the joy of being embraced in a celebratory hug. And she remembered the ninth Doctor explaining the other Doctor wasn't him. He was from another dimension. They weren't the same person.

But a moment later, Lilly remembered finding herself back on Ten's TARDIS reliving one of the most frightening experiences of her life. She remembered the eleventh Doctor tossing Sara across the room like a rag doll. And she remembered the look in his eyes. Sara had called him the Valeyard. Lilly wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give herself some comfort. Was the tenth Doctor already the Valeyard? He was so frightening, so cruel. He seemed nothing like her Doctor.

With a loud click Lilly jumped. The coffin she'd been trapped in opened. Stepping out, Lilly dropped to her knees. "Please," she begged. "Please, don't hurt me. What ever you want... I'll do whatever you want."

The Doctor looked puzzled at Lilly. She squinted at the ground, no longer used to the bright light of the med bay. He could see she was trembling.

"I just want my name back," said the Doctor. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're not going to erase my mind?"

"Not if I don't have to." Why would she think he'd erase her mind? He hadn't threatened her with that. He knew he'd never erase someone's mind without just cause. It was too close to the outlawed final action. But maybe the threat would keep Lilly in line. Maybe he wouldn't have to deal with all the trouble Sara had given him. So, he let her believe it was a possibility.

Lilly started to silently cry. "Here,." The Doctor extended his hand to help her stand up.

She recoiled at his hand before glancing up to his face. His look was hard, serious, frightening. He raised his chin slightly, looking down at Lilly, but didn't take back his hand. He waited expectantly. Slowly with trembling fingers Lilly placed her hand in his, and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She stood in front of the Time Lord, the cylindrical medical coffin right behind her, her whole body shaking with fear.

"I'm going to touch your mind now Lilly." Ten looked at her sharply. "And you're not going to try to stop me."

She didn't step back this time. Where could she go? Nine was gone. Sara was gone. Even Rose was gone. She was alone. And she was his. This Doctor, this Time Lord Victorious had her. He slowly raised his hands to her temples. "I want my name back. And you're going to let me take it." He was repeating the same words he'd said before. And like before, his words had the same pull to them, almost like a hypnotic effect.

"Please don't hurt me," she repeated her plea in a whisper.

"It won't hurt, if you don't resist."

A small sob escaped Lilly's throat as she felt his fingertips begin pressing against her temples. "I'm sorry," she pleaded with him, "I'm sorry I made you mad."

Gently, the Time Lord move towards the outskirts of Lilly's mind. She inhaled at his presence.

"You... you don't feel like the other Doctor," remarked Lilly. She'd noticed that before.

"I'm not surprised." The look on the Doctor's face relaxed. He could feel how terrified Lilly was. Her emotions were rolling off of her like waves, and the Doctor found he had to pause to steady himself. Human minds could be so fragile. The last thing he wanted to do was damage her.

"Is...Is Sara dead?" she asked, lip quivering.

"Dead?"

Lilly could feel the pressure of the Doctor's mind increasing. She gasped. He was touching her outskirts now.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow." Lilly's hands shot up, grabbing the Doctor's wrists.

"Don't resist," he ordered.

"Please," she choked out. "Just wait. Just give me a second. I..."

Lilly thought of the Doctor's name. He hissed, recoiling slightly before coming back into her with double strength.

"Don't," he warned. "Not very smart, Lilly."

"I'm sorry!" She tried to pull away from him. "I didn't mean to! It was an accident! I swear! I swear it was an accident! I'll let you in. I promise. I promise I just need a second."

The Doctor decreased his pressure slightly. Lilly was having a hard time with this. He hadn't even penetrated her yet, and she was already having a hard time.

_So human_, thought the Doctor. He'd have to take this extra slow. "Thank you," said Lilly when she felt him back off. "Thank you." The Doctor nodded. "Don't try it again." The two of them stood silently like that for several minutes.

"Let me know when you're ready," said the Doctor.

Lilly could still feel the Doctor, but he wasn't pushing into her. He was waiting, and a part of her was grateful. She knew he didn't have to wait. He could easily shove his way into her mind, ripping her apart, and taking what he wanted. And being the Time Lord Victorious, which would have been his instinct. But he waited. He waited for Lilly to get used to his presence. He waited for her to relax, to let him in.

"Thank you for letting me say goodbye to Rose," offered Lilly. She was trying to appease him, keep him calm.

"Well," Ten inhaled sharply at the memory, "she was Rose." Lilly nodded slightly, but Ten's hands restricted her movement. "Ready?" he asked.

"No."

"Lilly, I'm not going to wait all day."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just..." She glanced at his face. He was still serious. "Ok. Ok, I'm ready. Please go slow. I..." She gasped, again feeling him working his way into her outskirts. Lilly's first reaction was to fight him, to push him away. But she tried to relax, keeping her mind open.

"Good," the Doctor nodded. "That's good." He paused again, giving her a chance to get used to him. Reinette had been so much easier than this. The Doctor wished Lilly's mind was more like the courtesan's. _Still, could be worse_, thought the Doctor. At least she's compatible. He didn't know what he'd do, if Lilly's mind wasn't able to handle his telepathic touch at all. He'd probably have to go to Delfega, and hunt down a memory worm. That wasn't an easy task. And by the time he'd finally be able to capture and bring back such a creature, Lilly would have to lose a lot more memory than just a name. No. This was much better, easier, for everyone involved.

A tear slipped from Lilly's lashes, and began traveling down her cheek. The Doctor moved his thumb to catch it.

"It's alright, Lilly," he soothed. "You're doing fine. We'll just wait here for a while." He'd made it through her outskirts, and was hovering just outside of her mind now. He knew the next part would be harder, more delicate, more... intimate. But it was necessary to pull such a powerful word from her memory. So, he was giving Lilly a breather, letting her get ready.

Lilly's thoughts trail back to Rose, Rose and her Doctor... and Sara. Sara had hit the wall hard. Lilly had heard the sound her body made upon impact. She'd seen the blood on the wall, and she'd seen Sara's eyes roll into the back of her head.

"Did the Valeyard kill her? Did he kill Sara?"

"Valeyard?" The tenth Doctor scowled.

"Your eleventh self. The Valeyard. When he... When he threw Sara across the room," Lilly swallowed, "did he kill her?"

Lilly's bottom lip quivered as she inhaled a staggered breath, and the Doctor could feel her grief slamming into him. She believed what she was saying. The Doctor thought back to the violent move the other man made against Sara. It really hadn't been necessary to throw her so forcefully. He could have easily taken the chair from her and subdued her without harming her in any way.

"She was fine when the other Doctor dematerialized her. She'll be staying with him in the other dimension. I'm sure he'll tend to any bumps or bruises." His answer sounded sterile, but inside the Doctor's emotions were anything but. Could Lilly be right? Was his future self the Valeyard? Sara had brought it up so many times. And now Lilly was bringing it up too. Had Sara and Lilly been sensing his future? Or had Lilly simply been contaminated by Sara's unfounded fears?

Lilly relaxed slightly at the idea of Sara being with Nine. Her eyes teared up when she pictured her on his TARDIS. At least she was safe. Ten could feel her relief at his words.

"What about the paradox?" asked Lilly. "Did he create the paradox? Or... or was that you?" She figured that's what had happened. Someone had created a paradox. That's why she remembered everything happening two different ways. Maybe she'd got it wrong. Maybe she didn't really understand what was going on. But that was the only thing that seemed to make sense.

"Lilly." The Doctor sighed. "There hasn't been a paradox. If there was I would have sen..." He gasped, suddenly letting go of Lilly, and stepping back. Lilly stumbled to the floor. The sudden loss of the Doctor's mind made her feel weak, empty, and wrong. But the Doctor also stumbled. He stumbled back to the floor, feeling the full weight of the most horrendous time crash possible. He could feel every fixed point in the parallel universe's parallel being ripped apart. And it felt like he was being ripped apart with it. The Doctor gripped the sides of his head like he was trying to hold himself together. He could feel the people dying. He could feel their timelines unraveling. And he knew. In that instant, he knew. "What have I done?!" The look of utter terror streaking through his eyes could have caused a dalek to feel fear. He looked at Lilly. "The dimensions," he realized, "I haven't sealed them off!"

The Doctor sprang to his feet, and bolted with every ounce of Time Lord strength he held, running for the console room as fast as he could. He immediately began using his time ship to seal off his reality from its neighbor. Maybe it wasn't too late.

"C'mon. C'moooon." He dashed around his console pushing buttons, and flipping levers, almost in a panic. The Time Lord pulled the monitor over towards him. "It's too late," he told himself. "There's no way..." Ten gaped in amazement. The paradox wasn't coming through. Something had stopped its progress from destroying the parallel universe. It wasn't going to make it into his home universe. They were safe. All the people, all the people who had ever or would ever exist in his universe were safe. The Doctor thought about his companions, his friends, Rose, HIS Rose. All of them would have been erased, if that paradox hadn't been stopped in time. The tenth Doctor couldn't help himself. He sent out a silent prayer of gratitude, and meticulously continued to seal the crack in the fabric of the universe.

When he was almost done, he stood up, running a hand through his hair. He noticed movement in the corner of his eye. It was Lilly. She was leaning against a wall just inside the corridor, watching him.

"You knew," said the Doctor. "You knew before I did." His tone was in awe. How could a human be so sensitive to time? How could a simple human know? And if Lilly could sense, if Lilly could know, what about Sara? She'd been trying to warn him for so long. She'd been trying to tell him what she knew. But he hadn't listened. He'd shut her out, told her he was the Time Lord Victorious. Maybe she'd been right about changing that fixed point in time. Maybe it would have destroyed the universe. The Doctor tried to push away the guilt of all the lives his future self had destroyed. Had he really been that close to becoming the Valeyard? No. That couldn't be it. He could never imagine doing something so completely evil. There had to be another explanation. Maybe the Time Lords had completed their ultimate sanction in that dimension. Or Maybe the daleks finally found a way to destroy everything the way the always wanted too. Either way, he was grateful his dimension was safe. And he would keep it that way. If Lilly was powerful enough to sense time before he could, and she could tell the future, she was indeed dangerous. It was a good thing he had her in custody.

Custody. The word rang out through the Doctor's mind with realization. Sara! The universe just destroyed belonged to his counterpart. Sara would have been with him. The power she possessed was more than capable of ripping a universe apart. Maybe his future self had come back, giving him that warning so he could have kept a hold of Sara. Maybe the whole purpose of crossing his own timeline was to save the other dimension from her. He scanned through the last sliver of the crack he'd almost finished fixing. Yes. There it was. He'd instantly found energy readings left over from the universal disaster. And the results too closely resembled the as yet unnamed particles he'd found in Sara.

_All those lives. All those people. _The Doctor shouted out a cry, simultaneously slamming the palm of his hand into the side of his console. Lilly jumped at his outburst. He couldn't go back now. The crack in the universe was too small. It was too late to save them. He should have tried harder to keep Sara in custody. The other Doctor obviously didn't understand how dangerous she was. He hadn't kept good enough control over her. And she'd somehow destroyed that universe. Maybe it was an accident. Or maybe others had gotten a hold of her, and used her power without her permission. Either way, that universe was gone. And Ten knew it was his fault. It was his fault he'd let her slip through his fingers. It was his fault he let her get away. And it was his fault he hadn't kept better control over her. He looked over at Lilly. She paled under the aliens stare. The Doctor swore he wouldn't make the same mistakes with Lilly. Maybe he should simply eliminate the human. Maybe then the universe wouldn't be at risk. The Doctor paused thinking about consequences, cause and effect, bad and good, right and wrong.

_I can't_, he said to himself. _I won't_. He was still the Doctor. And as long as he was, he wouldn't cross that line.

He pressed his lips together, and began to walk with purpose towards the girl. When he moved towards her, she didn't back away. She didn't have the strength. It was all she could do to remain leaning against the wall. When the ninth Doctor had nearly performed the final action, he'd left her feeling weak and empty. But this was so much more than that. The ninth Doctor had never penetrated her outskirts. He'd only covered the outside of her mind with his presence. This Time Lord had made it past her defenses, leaving her open, unprotected. Then he'd pulled back suddenly, and she didn't feel right anymore.

She saw the look in the Doctor's eyes. Lilly recognized that look. It was the look her Doctor had when dealing with Cassandra. It was the look he had when stopping the gelth. And it was the look he'd had when he'd been about to rip out her mind on Platform One. She closed her eyes, and covered them with a trembling hand, but refused to cry.

The Doctor stood in front of Lilly, and reached forward to touch her mind. _Better to get this done and over with_, he thought. Lilly dropped her hand from her eyes, giving him better access to her temples. She knew she couldn't resist him. But the Doctor hesitated. He hesitated, because he'd seen the drop of blood on her hand. _Was she bleeding? Where...? _The Doctor saw it. She was barely bleeding from her nose. He took her quickly by the shoulders, tilted her head back slightly with his thumbs, and looked into her eyes. He frowned.

"I pulled out to fast," he offered. "I'm sorry." She'd be alright, he knew. A little bit of blood could be expected, after he'd removed himself from her psyche so quickly. But it would be a while before he could complete the task of retrieving his name.

She didn't answer. And he sighed. "Lilly you need to understand. And I want you to listen to me very carefully. Can you do that?" It took all her energy to nod slightly.

"Good. Good." The Doctor nodded. He was still holding her by the shoulders, giving her some support, and looking into her eyes. "You and Sara are... were..." The Doctor frowned. "Sara wasn't... protected properly. Something happened. That paradox you felt. That wasn't me. I would never. But Sara..."

"She would never..." Lilly's words were slurred. It was hard to make them feel right in her mouth.

"Maybe. Maybe not intentionally." He made sure she was looking at him. "But if the wrong people got a hold of her, they could have..." He inhaled. "The point is you have to stay with me. You have to do as I say. If you don't, the same paradox you felt destroying your original dimension could happen here." Ten didn't realize it wasn't Lilly's original dimension he'd felt come apart. He didn't realize she hadn't felt or known the other dimension was gone. He knew Sara probably destroyed the other universe with the strange energy bonded to her. And he knew Lilly didn't have that kind of energy. But he also knew she could do equal damage with only the information she was pulling from the time vortex. "And I can't let that happen. I won't." His words were firm. "Now... Now, I know you had a deal with my other self. I know you promised to tell each other the truth. Is that right?"

She nodded again. "Well, I want to make a deal with you. Alright?"

She stared at him blankly, and the Doctor stepped back. She almost fell at the loss of his support. He ran a hand nervously through his hair. He could still feel the echoes of that paradox, and it was putting him on edge. He had to make sure this universe was safe. He had to get Lilly to agree to his demands. Since he couldn't retrieve his name, it was the only way to get her to obey. The only other option was locking her up. And that may have been a mistake with Sara.

"I need." He ran his hand nervously through his hair again. "I need you to promise me you'll stay with me. I need you to promise me you'll stay with me and do as I say." The Time Lord had stilled, and was staring intently at the human. "If you do that, if you make those promises, I'll... I promise I'll let you travel with me." The Doctor gave Lilly a look like he'd just offered her the universe. And maybe in his mind he did. "As my companion," he added. The Doctor waited expectantly for Lilly to respond.

"No." Besides the fact traveling with her own Doctor was something she'd considered a necessary evil, she couldn't promise she'd always do as this Doctor said. And If she got the chance to go home, Lilly knew she'd take it.

The Doctor's demeanor stiffened. He turned cold, and gave Lilly a dark look. "Let me be clear."

Lilly swallowed. If she could have backed any further into the wall she'd been leaning against, she would have.

"You will be staying with me. And you will obey. Whether or not you are my companion or only my responsibility is your choice. I will not allow you to endanger my universe."

"I don't... I can't..." She was having trouble forming her thoughts into coherent sentences. Blood began freely dripping from Lilly's nose. She didn't even try to stop it.

The Doctor gave her a concerned look, and stepped towards her. Had he missed seeing some damage? Why had she started bleeding like that?

"Not... slave," she answered.

Lilly practically fell against him, and he hoisted her into his arms. Quickly, he began moving towards his emergency equipment. It probably wasn't bad. Maybe a simple lesion. But he had to be sure. The Doctor felt her weight shift in his arms as Lilly passed into unconsciousness. He growled audibly. "I don't have time for this." He still had the Master to deal with.

* * *

Sara could hear the distinct echoes of voices surrounding her as they tried to permeate her consciousness but nevertheless, she resigned herself to the empty TARDIS console room where there were no Doctor's, Time Lord Victorious' or Valeyards that seemed to encroach upon her there.

She finally managed to will the nightmare of the Valeyard that had taken the shape of the Eleventh Doctor away, leaving her entirely alone to feel the distant thrum of the empty room. It had no expectations of her. All her agony and pain waited outside this safety zone, which she could now abandon freely by retreating to this place of stillness.

"No one here." She was nearly giddy as she ran her fingers along the coral railing, "I can just stay here in my very own place." It was her world now and she could do whatever she wanted. The Time Lord Victorious nor the Valeyard could pull her from this comforting illusion.

Before she came here there was something she had to warn Nine. Something exceedingly critical but now it simply made no difference. "He's better off without me."

"Wrong again Sara." She gasped, turning to see the Eleventh version and froze. "No, not the Valeyard. Please, I can't-"

"It's just me." Eleven told her gently.

She looked at him forlornly. "But I failed. I saw him as you. I swear."

"Saw a possibility and you felt the ripples of time." He paused. "He destroyed an entire universe."

"No!" Sara screamed.

"Now you know the difference." He moved slowly towards her. "You felt it yourself didn't you."

"The agony, all those voices and suddenly…" Sara collapsed onto her knees. "What have I done?"

"Sara…"

"No! My universe was destroyed and now," She shuddered. "He has Lilly. This is my fault." She started to weep uncontrollably. Immediately, Eleven went to her, bent down, pulling her to him as she gave into desperation, sinking into his shoulder. "Sara," He whispered in her ear. "All this guilt, it isn't for you to carry."

"I was the one that ran in the first place."

"I stole a TARDIS, kept on running. It's who you are and it's who I am." He gently released his hold. "You need to go back."

"No!" Sara shook her head. "I'm not ready yet. There's no pain, no fear, no anger-"

"No joy, no happiness." The Eleventh Doctor countered.

"I've had so little of those."

"They need you." He said firmly.

"I ruined their lives, ruined Lilly's life. I shouldn't be around anyone." She paused as the full weight of the obliteration of another universe sank in. "An entire universe died because of me."

Eleven's eyes were sorrowful. "No, because of the Valeyard. Those were his choices. He was always a possibility."

"Where did he-"

"The paradox also obliterated him from existence as soon as he warned the Doctor."

She couldn't fathom such depravity as she stared at Eleven with such deep sorrow in her very soul.

"I need time." She said. "Time to think."

Eleven nodded slowly. "Time isn't always a luxury, Sara. Be careful what you wish for."

He stood and his image slowly disappeared from view leaving the empty console behind. The comfortable familiar humming took place as she strode along the room and into the hallway. In here, there were no locked rooms, no jailor and in the recesses of her mind this world could fulfill how she wanted her life to be. One without chaos and death, one where the rules of the outside didn't apply.

Suddenly right before her in the hallway, an image appeared and Sara choked seeing who the vision belonged to. "Christina?"

The girl was exactly how she remembered her. Exuberant, enthusiastic and adventurous. One that had never minded risking her life and had been eager to volunteer at the very idea. Slowly Sara approached her wondering if there was some chance she could truly be real.

"Oh, hello Sara!" Christina greeted her exuberantly.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"Nonsense. I'm right here, aren't I? What do you say, the two of us, we could steal the crown jewels together? You still have my cup right?"

"I-it's in my room."

"Fantastic, off we go then" As the girl seized her hand pulling her towards the door of the TARDIS.

"But we need a plan."

Christina winked at her mischievously. "I'll come up with something." Sara hesitated but then allowed Christina to pull her along. She was no where near ready to go back to reality. How could she face all that agony again, the immense guilt, the pain that riddled her conscious?

No. So instead of going back to waking world, she allowed herself to flee into the deeper recesses of her mind seeking out her much needed comfort there.

* * *

Lilly had receded into an unconscious state and as the Doctor checked the Advanced Diagnostic Terminal above her bed, he noticed minor damage to her cerebrum, the memory centers of her mind. Fortunately it would not require in depth surgery where an infusion of nanites injected at the base of her skull would resolve the injury.

After dispensing the treatment, he adjusted the neural dampener above her bed to a low setting with the intent to keep her in a state of slumber. _The mind is such a delicate thing. _The Doctor thought. He double checked the readings from the ADT scrolling to him in Gallifreyian and nodded in confirmation that it was working according to plan.

In the interim, he had another matter entirely to deal with. Before slipping into that crack in reality, his visit with the Oods had informed him that the Master was to return, which would prompt the end of time itself. Sara and Lilly both were in complete agreement with his prophecy.

Sara. She was supposed to be part of the prophecy. The Ood had insisted on her presence there themselves and slivers of guilt ran through both his hearts. If she was in the other universe, she would have blinked out of existence as reality tore itself apart. Likely if her unknown particle volume was responsible for the obliteration of that parallel existence, the resulting wave would have rebounded on her and she too was gone. All she wanted from when he had first taken her aboard was to either run from him or die. _Maybe now she had her wish. _He thought of all the times she professed to wishing she had ceased to exist along with her reality too but it was him who insisted she still had a purpose. A multidimensional temporal unstable human anomaly that ultimately led to his worst fear, the destruction of the universe. _Maybe her purpose all along. _

He deadlocked the TARDIS just in case. He couldn't have Lilly running off in this dimension and didn't wish to anticipate her reaction when she made the connection that her Doctor, Rose and Sara might have been eradicated along with everyone else in the parallel universe. She should sleep but he utilized this simply as a safety measure and if her abilities proved to be more powerful then his safeguards, he would take further steps. She proved to be a fascinating puzzle and he couldn't discern yet where her time sensitivity was derived from but the fact she could perceive a paradox before him made her infinitely valuable. With time and study he might be able to develop some conceivable theories as to her sensitivity to time since there was no definitive causal link between her and the temporal vortex on the surface.

He ran outside still hoping he was in time to catch the Master before he fully resurrected but Broadfell Prison lay in complete ruins. He was too late by nearly a day. It appeared to had been burned down the night before and he seethed quietly to himself, examining the exterior.

Quickly he started sniffing the air picking up the faint trace of electrical discharge and a scent he had grown all to accustomed with. The trail wasn't far, less then a quarter of a mile from where he stood in the direction of a derelict construction site.

He hastened in that course as his mind sifted through all the information he had recently experienced. The man that had warned him, he had only caught a brief glimpse that Lilly identified as the Valeyard, but now sifting through his perfect memory, he remembered where he had previously seen him. _Somatoforms_. He thought. When Sara became infested with mind parasites in the New Roman Empire, he had entered her mind and had seen a very likeness of this version for which she apparently called 'Matt Smith'.

Then there was his dream that continued to pervade his consciousness, haunting him until this very moment. The man shared the very resemblance of the person who tormented him in his slumber, bringing Rose's mind into the nightmare, forcing him into watching her suffer. Warning him to never be cruel or cowardly. Both figures shared similarities but one was distorted, radiating an evil that he couldn't even comprehend. The man in his sickbay resembled…_No_. He couldn't even allow himself to consider the possibility that he might turn into that. Sara's past jabs at him, calling him the Valeyard were just those of an insolent child, which was all that she was. _But her predictions… _The possibilities lingered heavily on his mind.

Refocusing his thoughts, he sniffed the air again catching the familiar waft as he followed in hot pursuit. He didn't hear the slight wheezing that occurred behind him as he pursued the course of the Master.

He caught sight of him, banging madly with a lead pipe against a barrel four times in a synchronous fashion. The Doctor immediately chased him through discarded girders on the ground as the Master ran off, kicking up a huge amount dirt in his path, stumbling through loose gravel. As the Doctor confronted him, the Master let out a roar and leapt high into the air, laughing maniacally. Immediately the Doctor advanced forward as the Master landed, his face glowing with electricity so that Doctor could see his skull cavity underneath.

"You're burning your own life force." The Doctor informed him flatly. "It will kill you."

The Master only seemed to sneer before running off again and as the Doctor started to give pursuit, when Wilfred ran up to him.

"Oh my gosh, Doctor, you're a sight for sore eyes." Wilfred exclaimed

"Out of my way." The Doctor shoved Wilfred aside climbing on top a pile of girders.

"Would say that myself." A familiar voice echoed dangerously. "Very much a sight for sore eyes."

The Doctor turned completely astounded to see his previous regeneration duplicate standing right before him.

"You're alive." Was the only thing he could think to say before a punch landed directly across his jaw causing him to fall backwards into the rubble.

* * *

Sara had followed rapidly after Christina as she ran out of the TARDIS directly into the Tower of London itself approaching a heavily locked door.

"How do we get inside?" Sara asked.

"Don't worry. I have a key." Christina was completely nonchalant as she managed to open all the padlocks with considerable ease and beckoned Sara inside eagerly.

It was completely dark in the room they entered and Sara squinted, trying to see through the blackness that surrounded her.

"Christina? I can't-"

"Shh, they'll hear you."

"Who?" Sara asked.

"The Time Lords. Excellent hearing. You have to be very quiet." Christina grabbed Sara's hand pulling her forward from the darkened exterior into a room that Sara knew all too well.

"The library on the TARDIS." Sara whispered. "But I thought…the jewels."

"Right here." Christina dragged her forward to the book, 'The History of the Time War'. "Read quickly now. The guards will return at any moment."

"No," Sara murmured. "Not again."

"You wanted to steal the jewels." Christina reminded her.

"This was an accident!" Sara protested.

"Really?" Christina ran her fingers through the pages of the volume on the pedestal. "Are you an accident?"

"I can't do it again!" Sara tried to turn away only to be trapped by endless rows of shelving. There was whispering all around her in a language that she could almost understand but the voices sifted in and out of her mind. She couldn't grasp the entire stream of sentences.

"Christina-" She started to say, turning around. Her friend had disappeared and she was left to stare at the book in front of her knowing full well its relevance now. "This is where it all went wrong." She murmured as she ran her hand over the volume. "My mistake."

She found herself running down the corridor once more away from the Doctor who had just told her that she couldn't leave the TARDIS and that she would be forced to accompany him. He was taking her independence, her control, everything she valued so she fled through the rose garden, through the wine cellar and once more into the library where her eyes fell upon the book and a burning curiosity took over as she opened the pages to see the name she never should have read.

She slammed the book shut, backing away in terror and once more she was running down the same corridor, feeling the same panic and dread as before eventually ending up in the library unable to quell her insatiable curiosity as she tried to fight it inside herself. _No please! Take it back, please take it back!_ It was a perpetual loop, reenacting her mistake of learning the Doctor's name that she knew she was unable to stop.

She was back in the hallway utterly resigned as she made her way back through the rose garden and the wine cellar. She could even hear his voice behind her deliver the same warning he had given so long ago. "Sara, look, there's no use, you will just get lost."

_I'm lost already._

**A/N: You can't say we didn't listen when some of you thought they should swap places So thanks for those who reviewed that inspired that idea for it helped bring the rest of the story idea formation into place. We hope you enjoy the next segment.**


	5. Time Loop

"Just had to do it, then." Nine said, slowly circling around Ten, anger pulsating off of him as he glared with utter contempt at his counterpart. "Destroy a whole other universe so you could win."

"You're wrong." Ten gradually got his bearings meeting Nine's glare with a calculated expression. "Wasn't me." There was an edge of steel to his stone as he tried to put the thought of the Valeyard out of his mind. "There was a para-"

He was cut off as Nine seized the collar of his coat, yanking him forward in absolute fury. "Everyone there is dead!" He yelled. "Whole time lines unraveled. Haven't been able to tell Rose yet." For a moment sorrow flickered across Ten's expression. "You want the honors?"

Nine shoved Ten backwards so hard that he was barely able to catch himself from falling, aghast at the proposition of telling Rose, even if it wasn't his Rose that now her entire world had been obliterated. He shuddered. _How could I possibly tell her…_

Then he remembered all to well a set of similar circumstances where he had barely managed to keep Sara from plummeting off to her death, pinning her to a bridge, forced to blurt out the information. He remembered hearing her scream, '_You're fiction, a character from a TV show, you're lying!'_ Her scream was agonizing, her grief made her words nearly unrecognizable and now? He couldn't bear the thought of telling Rose that the same had happened to her.

Fragments of the dream came back to him rapidly.

'_I did what was necessary.' He had said._

'_Oh really? What would you have done if anyone did that to Rose?' The man told him._

"Where is she?" Ten's voice softened in reflection of the apology she offered him only a short while ago.

'_Just wanted to say sorry' Rose offered._

'_Sorry?' _

'_For making you so sad. For dyin' or leavin' or whatever it is I do that hurts you so much.' She said, looking at him regretfully._

"Safe." That was the only reply he was given and Ten clenched his teeth in determination.

"And Sara?" He asked. If she was here and his counterpart knew of the paradox, did he witness Sara's devastating energy discharge of her particle energy? From the other's countenance, Nine was placing the burden of responsibility fully on him. _Maybe it was in transmat. He didn't see the energy spike from her._

"What do you care?" Nine shook his head, hardly believing the nerve of this man who took to tormenting his wards as soon as he was out of line of sight. "Not enough to beat her within an inch of her life?"

"I didn't-" Ten started.

"You will never get your hands on her again." Nine roared.

They had acquired an audience as Wilfred approached stunned at the stranger's approach that unleashed such torrential fury at the Doctor.

"Doctor, who is this man?" Wilfred addressed Ten.

"Better question, who is he?" Nine replied glaring at Ten. "Not the Doctor. Not from what I've seen."

"Go home, Wilfred." Ten ordered wanting to keep all other humans out of this debacle. "I'll talk to you there." He promised.

"You mentioned Sara," Wilfred started to say remembering the young woman that had accompanied the Doctor whom Donna had instantly recognized. "She all right? Donna asks about her all the time and-"

The words seemed to freeze in his throat as the Doctor locked his eyes on him. "Wilfred, take your friends and _go home._" He intoned. Wilfred found himself silently nodding as he and his group departed.

"Where's Lilly?" Nine instantly demanded as soon as the other humans had cleared the vicinity.

"Safe." Ten returned coldly. He had no intention of returning his prisoner now though he did often see the potential in negotiation.

"She's my ward. My responsibility." Nine said feeling every inch the oncoming storm as he approached Ten, eyes flashing.

"My universe." Ten paused. "She belongs to me now." He stared down at Nine unflinchingly. "You were irresponsible with Sara. I warned you." He shook his head. "Now you've seen the costs to your universe."

Nine merely gaped at him. "You think Sara…?" Agony filled his expression. "Blimey, you actually do."

"Same unknown energy particle dispersion along the tear which-"

"Was from ME!" Nine shouted and Ten started at his words. "Closed the tear in reality so the paradox wouldn't come here." He threw up his hands. "But I get it. Blame the girl who nearly died twice, who is now catatonic!"

"Catatonic?" Ten repeated as the information began to sink in. He knew the gap had somehow been closed without his assistance. He had acted on the information too late but if his counterpart had closed the rift between the two dimensions, with Sara onboard, there would be an identical dispersal pattern. That meant…what did it mean?

"Under constant monitor since she collapsed onboard." Nine looked at Ten with distaste. "Any energy spikes, I would have seen it but catatonic going on twenty eight hours with the time differential."

Ten shoved his hands into his pockets examining Nine coolly as he attempted to calculate additional variables to explain the paradox. If Sara hadn't been responsible, then the identity of the man who appeared to warn him had to be confirmed. Lilly had merely overheard Sara's accusation of the stranger being the Valeyard so the only one who could readily confirm their theories was his former ward.

He grit his teeth. This would require a great deal of compromise and negotiation on his part.

"Say we come to an agreement?" Ten suggested. "You let me see Sara, I'll let you see Lilly.

"Not lettin' you near Sara, she's regressed and there's a twenty percent reduction-"

"In the volume of her hippocampus. Likely the maintenance locus coeruleus-noradrenergic are affecting the connections between her limbic system and frontal cortex." Ten finished with an internal smirk of self satisfaction.

"Don't see the advantage, me." Nine would find another way of getting Lilly back without sacrificing any remnant left of Sara's mental stability. If he rescued Lilly, maybe she could help using her power of psychic perception, after all, since they were both time sensitive, a considerable rarity, maybe Lilly was the answer.

"The advantage is I can pull her out of her catatonia." Ten said. "Shouldn't take long."

Nine grimaced at the very reference remembering Lilly's terror at his attempted use of the 'final action'. What his counterpart was suggesting so casually was a violation he detested using on humans and he had found ways of avoiding it. But with Sara…

"Already thought of it. Mind might be too delicate and-"

"Not hers. Energy works as a buffer. I've done it before." Ten said.

"Coward." Nine seethed accusingly. "How many times you've invaded her mind without permission?"

Again the same word and Ten glanced down. "It was necessary." He muttered.

"How MANY?"

Nine's voice rang in Ten's ears as he felt a surge of regret sweeping through him, as memories flashed in front of his eyes of him forcing his mind into Sara's. One after another. Then there was Lilly. Unconscious in his sickbay from his own assault on her. _It needs to be done. She has my name. _He remembered her tears and it pricked on his conscience.

He reflected on Sara's fear, her pain and her agony as she offered to let him wipe his name from her mind. In the end, he pulled away, unable to complete the task and he found himself swallowing with difficulty.

"I'm sorry." He told Nine feeling guilt start to seep into his hearts. _What have I done? _It was the second time he found himself asking that question and he couldn't find an answer. "I won't hurt her." Ten said, referring to Sara. "She got infested with somatoforms." Nine winced in reference to those particular mind parasites. "Who do you think got them out safely?" He looked straight at Nine without attempting to hide his loss of emotional control. "You'd be able to tell if I was lying."

"Then I'll do it." Nine would detest it but he was the Doctor and Sara was now his responsibility.

"I've had more practice and I know Sara's mind. You don't." Ten stated simply. "You need to let me help."

Nine could detect the silent plea in Ten's voice as he seriously pondered the offer. It was true, he was out of practice in his use of telepathy and the rage burned inside him at the thought of Sara, merely a child, lingering persistently in the current state she was in. Eventually her synaptic pathways could deteriorate and her body would lose musculature despite how long he kept her soaking in the mending gel.

He had made her a promise and if his counterpart was assured he could propel her out of her stupor then Nine could work to make it up to her after she was awake.

He swallowed, feeling utter contempt at himself for making this deal. Again, he had to do what was in the best interests for both his wards regardless of the detestable nature of the person offering assistance. But he knew Ten spoke the truth.

"I want to see Lilly first." He said adamantly.

Ten nodded wearily leading the way back to his TARDIS with Nine in pursuit only to stop in shock, seeing the door he had dead locked in place wide open. In desperation, he ran into his TARDIS heading straight into the sickbay finding it deserted.

"Lemme guess? You told her to run?" Nine asked sarcastically, examining the interior.

Nine couldn't imagine what Ten had done to provoke Lilly to such desperation but he understood her response and knowing what she might have endured already weighed heavily upon him.

"Cycle of the neural dampener just went down." Ten said through grit teeth observing the readings. "She wouldn't get far."

They both ran out to sweep the surrounding streets as Ten muttered under his breath. "How did they both know to use the switches. Different dimensions but their time sensitivity is almost-"

"-Identical." Nine finished. Sara had known where the deadlock switches on his TARDIS were located as well. It was infinitely perplexing.

He then caught a brief glimpse of a familiar figure and automatically gave chase. "Lilly!" Nine shouted.

He hoped she was still close enough to hear and recognize his voice. He turned around surveying the area, looking for his lost ward. Where could she have gone?!

Ten growled out a groan. "I don't have time for this!"

"For what!" Nine glared. "For taking care of the ward you're suppose to be in charge of? For protecting her? Making sure she's..."

"The Master is here." Nine stilled. Both Time Lords stood still staring at each other. "Good. You know him." Ten took in a deep breath. "He survived your time war." Nine paused. "Lilly's out there unprotected."

Ten raised his chin slightly and arched his eyebrows. "We can't let him get a hold of her." Thoughts of what the Master might do to his wayward ward ran through his head. Memories of the torture Martha's family had suffered through the year that never was ran through his mind, and a dark rumble of time energy echoed off the Time Lord causing the reality around him to reverberate slightly.

Nine felt it, and wondered. He'd had his problems with the Master in the past. And he certainly knew Lilly would be in some danger. But what could have happened between this dimensional duplicate and this Master that would initiate such an emotionally violent response. Did he actually care about his ward? This duplicate was quickly becoming a mystery.

"C'mon," ordered Ten, leading the way.

"Where are we go..."

"Sara should be able to locate Lilly faster than any amount of Spock."

"Spock?"

Ten was leading the way back to Nine's TARDIS. He could feel her like his own TARDIS, but slightly off. It didn't take long to get there.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Lilly awoke, she found herself alone in a dimly lit room. She inhaled, and sat up with a start. She was on his TARDIS, the tenth Doctor's TARDIS. She jumped off the bed, and spun around. The only furniture was the bed she'd been sleeping on, and the strange rectangular device hanging on the wall at the head of her bed. In a way it reminded her of Nine's infirmary. But there were no other beds, no central console, and no lights. Even the colors were different. While Nine's infirmary was bright and cheery with creams and whites, this room was dark and drowsy with burgundy and maroons.

Just standing in the room was making Lilly feel tired. She reached up to rub the sore spot on the back of her neck. "What happened?" She asked aloud. Lilly was startled when the dry, clipped tone of the tenth Doctor answered, giving a mechanical response.

"You suffered from the internal bleeding caused by the quick release of the Doctor's mind and were placed in the sleep room. An injection was administered at the base of your skull and the neural wave dampener was activated to prolong sleep to ensure as little brain activity as possible so the lesion could heal."

It wasn't really the Doctor, she determined but an automated response unit programmed with his voice as an interface. She looked around uncertainly. "The bleeding," She started. "Is it gone?"

"Healing complete." Was the answer she received.

She ran her hands over her face, trying to wake up. _I've got to get out of here_, she thought, and quickly found the door. A moment later she was wondering down the corridor, slowly heading towards the console room. Memories of what the tenth Doctor said were running through her mind.

_Let me be clear. You will be staying with me. And you will obey. Whether or not you are my companion or only my responsibility is your choice._

Maybe the ninth Doctor would still come for her.

_Sara was fine when the other Doctor dematerialized her._

Yes. Nine hadn't meant to leave her with Ten. It had been a trick. He was trying to rescue them. But he'd only gotten Sara. For some reason he hadn't gotten Lilly.

_Sara wasn't... protected properly. Something happened. That paradox you felt. The same paradox you felt destroying your original dimension could happen here._

Lilly slowed her walk. She stopped. "No," she whispered. "No." If the other dimension had been destroyed... Were Nine, Rose and Sara gone? Tears rushed forward. Lilly knew this wasn't a TV show. She'd seen Charles Dickens die. She'd seen hundreds of others murdered by the gelth. The good guy didn't always win in real life. And this was real life.

_I will not allow you to endanger my universe. I can't let that happen. I won't._

He thought she was dangerous. Ten thought she was dangerous just like Nine. But what would Ten do to her?

_I will not allow you to endanger my universe. _Ten's words rang in her ears. Her hands started to tremble. She swallowed, and started walking again. He'd probably be in the console room, she knew. And if he really wanted to find her, he would. This was his TARDIS. There wasn't any place to hide.

When Lilly entered the console room, she was relieved to see it was empty. She sat tentatively in her favorite spot on the jump seat, and listened.

"Hello," she said softly, and a huge part of her was glad there was no answer. When she realized she was really and truly alone, she relaxed enough to cry. She was crying for Sara, the girl who lost everything. She cried for Rose. She never would get her happy ending with the metacrisis Doctor. And Lilly cried for Nine. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. Part of Lilly wondered if the reason they'd fallen through the crack in the universe was because she was there. Maybe she'd distracted the Doctor at just the right moment. Or Maybe she'd stood in the wrong spot, so he didn't see the readings on the view screen in time. Maybe having her on board had thrown some gravitational something-or-what's-it out of sync with something else she couldn't pronounce, and that had thrown them through the crack... or created it.

After what felt like forever, Lilly's tears stopped. She used her top to dry her face, and sat there quietly waiting for her jailor. _What am I going to do? _she wondered. If this Doctor was anything at all like her Doctor, he'd never believe she wasn't time sensitive, especially after she'd told him about the paradox before he'd felt it. There was no way he'd ever let her go. Nine wouldn't let her go either, but at least he'd been willing to stay on Earth while she lived out the rest of her life. Lilly doubted this Doctor would be so accommodating. No. It was more likely he'd lock her up. Isn't that what he'd done to Sara?

Suddenly, the enormous gymnasium-sized room felt very small. She needed some air. Carefully, Lilly slowly stood up. She walked over to the doors. He'd let her look out before. But when she pulled on them, her heart sank. They were locked, and no amount of twisting the knob on the deadbolt would release it. She let out a quiet cry from the back of her throat.

"Help," she whispered. "Oh, help."

"What seems to be the problem?"

Lilly spun around. It was Nine! Nine was standing right there. He was right there by the console. "Oh, Doctor!" She bolted towards him.

"TARDIS voice visual interface, me. Not the Doctor."

Lilly froze. "TARDIS voice visual interface?" she repeated, remembering Clara meeting the interface during 'Hide,' the episode where she had to use the TARDIS to rescue the eleventh Doctor from a pocket universe. Lilly noticed how the Ninth Doctor's image had a blank stare. His eyes weren't right.

"Yup. What seems to be the problem?" Lilly was quiet for a moment. She'd been having a few problems with Nine's TARDIS.

For some reason she wouldn't translate for her. And then there was the matter with her bedroom. She knew, if this TARDIS was anything like Nine's TARDIS, this TARDIS would be extremely loyal to her Time Lord. If she said the wrong thing... But the TARDIS was telepathic. Wouldn't it be, if she thought the wrong thing? Lilly shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"I... I want to open the doors."

"Doors are deadlocked."

"Ok. How do I undeadlock the doors?" asked Lilly. _Rose would know_, she thought. The ninth Doctor had shown her how to deadlock the TARDIS. But he'd never had the chance to show Lilly, at least not yet.

"Information's restricted."

"I just need some air," explained Lilly. "I just need to look outside."

"Human gas requirements are within acceptable parameters. Access to outside currently restricted."

"Ok." Lilly sighed. "How do I get the restriction to the outside lifted?" It was worth a try. Right?

"Undeadlock the doors"

She groaned. It was almost like a paradox. Round and round it went. She knew there would be getting no help from the interface, and leaned forward onto the console, letting her head hang down.

"Where's the Doctor," Lilly asked herself.

"Information restricted," the interface answered. "Is that all you're going to say?"

"No."

"Can you at least tell me if he's onboard the TARDIS?" Lilly wondered.

"Doctor's not onboard."

Lilly glanced down at the console. Immediately she recognized the switches in front of her. They were the switches the Master used in the Utopia episode to deadlock the TARDIS. She recognized them from the show. But they weren't in the deadlock position. The door had obviously been deadlocked by sonic screwdriver. Lilly swallowed. If she flipped the switches, would that lock the Doctor out? She reached up, quickly flipping the switches to the deadlock position. A loud clunk echoed through the console room. She looked up to see the interface watching her. It was a little unsettling.

"I... uh... Thank you for your help. I'm done now." The interface disappeared, and Lilly looked around the empty room. Would the Doctor really be stuck outside? He couldn't get to her. But then again. He was the Doctor. Maybe, given enough time, he could get his TARDIS to unlock the doors. Maybe that's why the Master left so quickly. He hadn't wanted to give the Doctor a chance to get in. And if that's what happened here, if he got in after Lilly locked him out, Oh! he'd be angry. She licked her lips, and flipped the switches back to their original position. Another loud clunk filled the room, but this time there was also a simultaneous click.

_What was that?_

Lilly walked over to the doors, and to her surprise, they were no longer locked. "Oh, thank heavens." She quickly reached for the door, and stopped. What would he say when he found out? Would he be angry? Would he get after her? _It's fine_, she told herself. _He let me open the doors before. _She wouldn't be breaking his rules.

Lilly pulled open the doors, and was greeted by a beautiful late afternoon sun and a perfectly blue sky. _It's the right blue_. She breathed in the fresh air, careful not to step out of his TARDIS. Again, the Doctor's words kept repeating themselves. He'd basically propositioned her with slavery, told her she would have no choices, no freedom. He'd told her she was dangerous, threatened to stop that threat, stop her.

Lilly peaked her head out of the TARDIS. She looked around the landscape. Earth, probably London. She wanted to step out. She wanted to get away. If she ran...

_One chance, Lilly. _His warning echoed in her memory. Did she dare? If she ran, would he find her? Could she get away? Sara said he was able to find her because of some kind of energy she gave off, but Lilly didn't give off the same energy. One chance. Lilly knew if she ran, she would only have one chance to get away. _No. I won't run. _She turned, and walked back to the console, leaving the doors open.

_I'm going to touch your mind now, Lilly_

She shrank at the memory_. He just wants his name back. He's just going through a rough patch. _Lilly's lip quivered. She knew she was making excuses for him. "He's supposed to be the Doctor," she whispered. Her voice cracked, and a muffled sob escaped her. _I can't do this. I can't stay here. I know I'm not dangerous. _She took a step towards the doors. _What would he do if he caught me? _She wrapped her arms around herself.

"He'd lock me up." _Isn't that what he's doing anyway? _she wondered. In a moment of courage, Lilly bolted towards the door. She ran so fast, the door bounced back open not latching when she'd pulled it closed after her. She didn't look back, didn't notice, and didn't care. She had to get away.

_One chance_, she said to herself. _I've got to get away_. With no shoes, no money, no ID, no friends, no family, no where to go, and only the clothes on her back, she ran down the nearly empty street as fast as she could.

"Lilly!"

She heard Nine's voice, and slowed slightly. _He's dead_, she reminded herself. Knowing the Doctor's previous incarnations had the ability to perfectly mimic voices, she increased her speed. More than ever before, she was running for her life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's HE doing here?!" demanded Rose.

"Nice to see you too," responded Ten.

Rose had been sitting next to Sara in the infirmary. She was no longer sleeping in the healing gel. She was awake. Her eyes were open, but she hadn't moved. Sara just stared at the ceiling, blinking as needed. And nothing Rose or the ninth Doctor had tried snapped her out of it. Currently, Rose had been reading to her, hoping the sound of Charles Dickens words could somehow help her friend back to reality. But when she'd seen the tenth Doctor walk into the infirmary, she jumped to her feet, ready for a fight.

"Rose, he's here to help," answered Nine.

"Hasn't he helped enough!" Rose motioned towards Sara.

Ten raised his chin, pressed his lips together, and inhaled as he put his hands in his pockets. He locked eyes with Rose.

"He's going to help." Nine's answer gave no room for argument.

"Where's Lilly?"

"Sight seeing," answered Ten. "Let's get on with it," he told Nine.

Rose stepped out of Nine's way as he made his way to the other side of Sara's bed, standing opposite of Ten.

"Hold on," ordered Rose. "You're not touchin' her." Ten sighed, and pursed his lips.

"Rose..." started Nine.

"No. 'S not happenin'"

Ten smiled as he watched her.

"Wha'!" Rose demanded when she saw Ten's smile.

"Forgot how you could argue." His smile grew.

"Could end up permanent, Rose," Nine explained. "If we wait."

"Do what you have to," she answered, "But not him."

"He's got 200 years experience on me."

"I don't care."

"He's already familiar with her mind."

"I don't care."

"I'll be there the whole time."

"It doesn't matter!" She exhaled sharply, exasperated.

"I could kill her!" shouted Nine.

Rose's eyes went wide. She almost stepped back. She glanced at Sara, and then back to her Doctor. "But you won't," she offered. Rose swallowed. "You'll do whatever you have to. Yeah?"

Ten was amazed at the woman standing before him. The way she looked at Nine, the way she already trusted him, reminded him so much of... Ten grimaced, once again pushing away his feelings. This Rose would never look at him that way. How could she? There they were again, his feelings. Ugh. He just couldn't keep them caged with Rose around.

"That's just it, Rose," Nine explained in a softer tone. "This is what I have to do."

"I won't hurt her," added Ten. "I promise you, Rose Tyler." He looked directly into her eyes. "I only want to help."

Rose looked at him for a long minute. Ten could feel her gaze. It felt like she was looking right through him, like she could see into his soul. Ten began to squirm under her scrutiny.

"Alright," Rose acquiesced. "But you'd better not..."

"I won't."

Rose nodded once.

"An' you'd better make sure," she instructed Nine, raising a pointed finger at him.

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled at his companion.

The Doctors looked at each other. The seriousness of the situation calmed the mood in the room. Ten placed his fingers firmly on Sara's temples.

"Mmh,' she groaned in protest at the touch.

"I'm sorry," offered Ten, looking into her eyes. "So sorry." And he meant it. He'd never wanted her to get hurt.

Nine placed the palm of one hand on her forehead, and the other on the top of her head. "Ready?" ask Ten.

"Yes."

"Sara, if you can hear me, don't resist," Ten instructed. "It won't hurt, if you don't fight me." He tried to cage his emotions, readying himself for the task at hand, but he couldn't. He couldn't hide away. Knowing Rose was alive and well in his dimension prevented him from closing his emotions off.

Nine looked up at his counterpart. _Why would it hurt? _That didn't make sense. Maybe he was just trying to scare Sara into submission. Nine scowled. When they were finished, he and Ten were going to sit down and have a long talk.

As gently as he could, and with Nine watching, Ten began pressing himself in to Sara's mind once again. Unlike before, there was no resistance. And the lack of resistance made Ten worry.

"What's wrong?" asked Nine. "She's not resisting." Nine looked at Ten questioningly. Ten returned a worried look. "She always resists."

Nine grimaced. That wasn't a good sign.

Ten penetrated her nonexistent defenses, and moved on to Sara's outskirts. Still, there was no sign.

"C'mon, Sara. C'mon. Where are you?" Ten was really getting worried, and Nine could sense his emotions as the two Time Lords completed a circuit through Sara's mind. Ten continued to move deeper. Where normally Sara would have been screaming in painful protest, now she lay silent. Ten began to feel the comforting, soft metaphorical tissue of Sara's inner mind tightly pressing around him. But it had no substance, no consciousness.

"Oh, Sara." Tears came to Ten's eyes, and a moment later Nine began to tear up too. He couldn't see what Ten could, but he could tell there was something seriously wrong. He could feel Ten's worry, and... grief. Was he grieving?

"I can't find her." Ten looked at Nine. "I can't..." Ten's voice broke. This wasn't what he'd wanted. Everything he'd done was to keep Sara alive and the universe protected from her. Oh, she hadn't been happy with his decisions, especially after he had to start reprimanding her. He'd had to be firm. Maybe more than firm. But he was the Time Lord. She was only human. He knew what was best. And now, even after his revelation about being able to control the laws of time, even after finally becoming the Time Lord Victorious, he was still unable to do what he'd wanted. He was losing another companion, and she was right here in front of him. This was why he stopped taking along others when he traveled. This was why he'd worked so hard to lock away his feelings, his emotions, his empathy. This was why he'd started to administer justice without getting emotionally involved. He was doing what had to be done, but he couldn't take having to suffer the emotional ramifications anymore. After losing so much... again, it was just too much.

"You can't give up," said Rose. "She's not gone. She's not."

"Go deeper," ordered Nine.

Ten's eyes widened. "Deeper?"

"That's right. I said deeper."

"I've never..." started Ten.

"I know." Nine cut him off.

"She wouldn't want..."

"Don't care," said Nine. "I said deeper. Only way to save her." He'd just lost almost every person he'd ever known. He'd lost every companion he'd ever had. He'd lost every planet and every person from every time he'd ever visited, and he couldn't lose another. _Not Sara. Not another companion_. Nine couldn't lose her. He'd promised. He'd promised he'd keep her safe. Whatever it took, he'd do everything in his power to save her life. Even if she hated him for it, he didn't care. He'd endure her hate, if that's what it took to save her.

"You're more like me than you'd like to admit," Ten informed his predecessor dryly, thinking of Donna. He hesitated a moment. He knew what he'd be risking, what he might be giving up. For a Time Lord to go so deep into another's psyche, he could lose himself. He would be open, exposed. And if he found Sara, she would have full access to anything within his mind. She could see all the things he'd done, all the things he'd felt. She could know him, truly know him. And if she chose, and she saw him, the real him, whether by choice or by accident, she would never be able to forget. A part of her would always be with him. And a part of him would always be with her. This was dangerous to say the least. Ten hesitated a moment more. He was about to do the most intimate thing he'd ever done.

"Wait. What are you doing?" asked Rose, concern dripping from her voice.

"Saving her life," said Ten. And with one quick thrust, he penetrated the core of Sara's mind, throwing himself into the deepest part of her inner self. The Doctor was exposed, open, vulnerable. His defenses were down.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Noooo!" Sara screamed as she ran passed Ten.

He stood in a corridor of his TARDIS, slightly disoriented as Sara ran by again.

"Sara," he called as she ran past him a third time. "That looks like a time loop," he commented to himself. "Five, four, three, two, and there."

"Sara!" Sara ran past him again, always heading in the same direction, always in a panic. She didn't hear him or didn't notice him.

"SARA!" Ten shouted when she past him for the fifth time. He groaned to himself. This wasn't working. He had to do something different. The next time she came around, he started to run with her. He kept her pace, weaving in and out of corridors, through the TARDIS gardens, through the storage wing, through the wine cellar, and finally into the library.

She stopped, and Ten was surprised to see Sara staring at 'The History of the Time War' on a pedestal in front of them. He glanced around his would be library. All the shelves had moved. They were trapped, no where to go, no way out.

"Noooo," she shouted. "This is where it all went wrong. It was an accident, a mistake!"

Christina was standing next to the pedestal. "Read the book, Sara. The name. It's the biggest crown jewel of them all. We'll steal it together."

"I won't!" Sara shouted at Christina's image. "I won't hurt him like that!" Sara shoved the book violently off the pedestal through Christina's image, and onto the floor. "I'm not a thief!"

"Sara!" Ten heard his own voice from down the hall. "It's no use." His voice sounded dark, unfeeling, powerful. Ten was stunned at how frightening his double sounded. And he was equally stunned at the terror he saw in Sara's face. Had she been so scared when he'd first brought her onto his TARDIS. He knew she'd been having a hard time, but...

As the dream Doctor entered the library, Sara disappeared. A moment later Ten watched Sara race back into the room. Again the shelves of books trapped her, and again she was faced with the book on the pedestal.

"Please," she begged. "Just let me go."

"Read the book, Sara," said Christina.

"NO!" She shoved the pedestal to the ground, and again the dream Doctor could be heard coming for her. She spun around at the sound of his voice. "I just want to go home," she pleaded. Sara disappeared, and the scene started to repeat.

The next time Sara entered the library, Ten maneuvered himself between her and the book. "Sara," he said softly, and for the first time she looked at him.

"No," she begged him. "Please don't hurt me. Just let me go. I didn't mean to read it. I..."

"Sara." It was the dream Doctor.

She spun around to see him. At first he looked like Ten. But as he entered the room he was surrounded by regeneration energy. His features formed into Eleven.

"Valeyard," Sara named him. Ten was taken aback. "You can't run from me. My TARDIS. My rules."

Ten quickly put himself between Eleven and Sara. "Who are you?" demanded Ten. "What do you want?"

"I'm you. And I want what's mine."

"Sara is mine," stated Ten with authority. "And you're not me." Eleven laughed. "Tell him, Sara. Tell him who I am."

"I tried," said Sara. "I tried. But everything I did..."

The Valeyard took a step towards them. When Sara turned to run, both she and the Valeyard disappeared. And the scene began to repeat again. Several more times Ten tried to intervene. And several more times, he failed.

"I found her," he said out loud, so Nine and Rose could hear. "She's caught in some kind of stable synaptic imagery loop. This might take a while."

_Be careful. _Ten heard Nines thoughts.

Instead of confronting Sara directly, Ten began looking around her mind. He wondered up and down the corridors of what looked like his TARDIS. He was surprised when Sara again ran past him. He wasn't in that part of her mind. Following the girl, he watched as Eleven approached her. She was cowering before him, begging for death. But instead of the supposed Valeyard threatening her, he was trying to comfort her. _What's going on?_

"But you didn't listen." Ten heard Sara tell the supposed Valeyard.

"Who said I didn't?" Eleven asked. "I'm listening now and I remember every word. That's why I'm here so you know I heard you all along but there is something I need to tell you."

_Ohh, it's a memory_, realized Ten. _But if this is a memory, which would mean this actually happened_. The Time Lord began to watch more intently. He needed to know who this man talking to Sara really was. Knowing that might help him break her out of her mental loop.

"What?" Sara asked.

"If that version of the Doctor regenerates in the mindset of the Time Lord Victorious with nothing to pull him back, he will become the Valeyard."

_What?! _thought Ten. _What?! _She shook her head in refusal. "No, but you're here so that's a paradox..."

"No, I'm only a possibility," Eleven went on, "we are both merely dreaming in our current time frames. I had to deliver this warning to you."

_No_, thought Ten. _This can't be right_. He watched Sara's memory of herself fidget. She swallowed hard.

"So I have to wake up and go back to-" Her voice broke. And Ten saw the utter grief and fear in Sara's eyes.

_She'd rather die_, he thought. _Why didn't she tell me? _Ten looked up to see Eleven walking away.

"Oh, and Sara?" Eleven called back. "You can't tell him about me. Not until he's regenerated."

_Enough_, thought Ten. He quickly left the memory behind, moving on to another part of Sara's mind.

_What's wrong_, asked Nine. He could sense Ten's unsettled emotions. _Bad memory, _answered Ten. _Something you did? _accused Nine. Ten didn't answer.

_Something I did, _Ten scoffed to himself. He didn't know exactly what that memory he'd just been watching was but... Suddenly, he was surrounded by Sara's memories. Every which way he turned, he was assaulted with a memory of him from her point of view. And he was her. He felt her confusion at finding herself in another dimension. He felt her mistrust at the people pretending to be something they weren't, not being able to get a hold of her friend, the hotel losing her reservation. He felt her mistrust and misunderstanding at seeing him for the first time. He felt every time he'd taken control over her body, forcing her to sleep. He felt the invasion when he'd tried to save her from the parasites. He lived through the attack when he'd wrestled her to the ground after Mars. _You will obey me_. He struggled for his freedom, for his sanity as he was encased in a stasis field unable to move in the infirmary trapped on the TARDIS. One by one the tenth Doctor lived through Sara's memories. Wave after wave assaulted him. It was the beginnings of what he'd been afraid of. He was beginning to lose himself.

"Help!" he cried out in Gallifreyan. Instantly, he felt Nine's fingers pressed onto the side of one of his temples. Nine had removed his hand from Sara's forehead, leaving the other on the top of her head, and come to the tenth Doctor's aide. The world around Ten faded away. He found himself gasping for breath, standing in the library on his TARDIS.

_Alright? _asked Nine.

_Thank you_. Ten breathed heavily. _I couldn't get away_. Understanding began to dawn on him when he'd said those words. He couldn't get away. Sara couldn't get away. The corners of his mouth dropped. _What have I done?_

Just then, Sara bolted into the room.

_She's just a child_, he thought. And he'd tortured her. All this time he thought he was doing what had to be done. He thought he was keeping her safe, safe from the monsters of the universe. But he wasn't. He was trapping her with a monster. He was trapping her with himself.

_Oh, Sara. Forgive me_. She shrieked when she saw the tenth Doctor standing between her and the book on the pedestal, skidding to a stop. "Please..." she started.

"I'm sorry," Ten cut her off. "My fault. My mistake." Ten turned around, and knocked over the pedestal. "See?"

Sara's eyes widened in surprise.

"It's not your fault Sara. It was mine." He should have been gentler with her. He should have explained things better. He should have been more patient. _She's only human_, he reminded himself. He should have listened to what she'd been trying to tell him she needed. If he'd handled things better, maybe she wouldn't have run. She'd needed time to grieve. She'd needed time to transition to life on the TARDIS. She'd needed his support. And he'd given her none of that. He'd make this better. He'd fix this. He knew he could.

Suddenly, they were standing on Mars watching Christina die.

"NO!" shouted Sara. She dropped to her knees next to her friend and the image of herself trying to stop the bleeding. Sara, the real Sara, began trying to save her friend.

Ten pursed his lips. He could see Sara didn't realize this was a memory. As much as he tried to block his feelings, tears still came to the Doctor's eyes.

"She was your responsibility." The Doctor heard his own voice, and turned in horror to look at the memory of himself. Is that what he'd said?

_It's my fault_. The Doctor heard Sara's thoughts echo around him. _I never should have asked her to come._

The Doctor squatted down next to the real Sara who was still kneeling on the ground. He looked his human in the eyes. "No." His voice cracked. "This was my fault," he explained. "You're my responsibility. That makes this my fault, not yours."

Sara's gaze was on something behind him, and he turned to look. He watched in shock as the memory of himself hauled Sara violently towards Bowie Base One. How could he have been so violent? He would do better, he told himself, be gentler when he had to force an issue.

The memory of Sara was screaming at him not to break the laws of time. _Why didn't she trust me? _he wondered. _Why didn't she...?_

The room shifted. The Doctor looked around. They were on Earth, between 2005 and 2015 if he had to guess.

"Jessica?" Sara called to the memory sitting on the sofa. "Jessica, look at me."

"She's just a memory, Sara. She's not really here."

Sara turned around to look at the large flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite of the couch when the room was unexpectedly filled with the theme song for 'Doctor Who.'

"What's that?" asked the Doctor.

"That's the show I keep telling you about." She looked at him. "That's 'Doctor Who.'"

The tenth Doctor removed his metaphorical glasses from his breast pocket, and stepped forward for a better look. After placing his glasses on his nose, he glanced back at Sara.

"And this is how you see time?" he asked.

"It's not seeing time. It's just a show," she answered.

He nodded, not believing a word. The episode started. He watched himself step out of his TARDIS onto Mars, alone.

"What is this?" he asked. "Is this my future?" He'd never gone to Mars alone in this regeneration before. So, it had to be his future.

"I suppose, from your point of view, it's your past," answered Sara.

"My past?"

"What would have happened, if I hadn't been there."

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he turned his full attention back to the flat screen. _So, you see alternate time lines as well_.

Sara and the Doctor stood watching the memory of her watching 'Doctor Who' with her friends. There were several differences he'd noticed in this time line when compared to what actually happened. And it was interesting being able to see what was happening to the other people on the base. He'd only been aware of what was occurring from his point of view. When he watched himself declare he was the Time Lord Victorious, he raised his chin slightly, but Sara started to cry. She wasn't loud. In fact he probably wouldn't have noticed, if he couldn't feel the shift in emotions from being within her mind. _Why was she crying?_

He continued to watch. He watched himself save everyone he could, and smiled when they'd stepped out of his TARDIS back on Earth. His smile didn't last, however, when he saw what happened next. He watched Adelaide kill herself. And seeing the character on the wall realize what he'd almost done, hit the Time Lord with a wave of terror, cutting him to the bone. He almost dropped to his knees.

_You alright_, asked Nine. _Not now_, answered Ten sharply. "Fixed point," said Sara.

He turned back to face her. He finally understood. She'd been trying to save the universe. She was only human, and she'd gone up against a Time Lord to save the universe from his stupidity. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even form the words. Profound gratitude and respect radiated from the Doctor, and he sent those emotions full force into his... No. Not his human. Not his anything. He didn't deserve to call her his. If anything he was hers. He would still serve as her protector. But she didn't belong to him, at least not like he'd thought before. He sent all the gratitude and respect he could possibly feel into the woman whose mind he stood in.

_Blimey_. Nine was hit with the excess emotions overflowing through their connection.

_It's still my fault. _Sara's thoughts echoed.

"What is?" asked Ten.

Instantly, Sara and Ten were watching recent events unfold in Ten's infirmary. He watched himself go after Lilly.

_Lilly_, he thought. _Skittish little Lilly. _He saw the terror on her face when he'd threatened her.

"How is **any **of this your fault?" he asked Sara, guilt permeating his hearts as he watched events unfold from Sara's point of view.

"If I hadn't been here, none of this would have happened." Ten watched as he caught the chair Sara was going to hit him with. He was surprised to hear himself threaten the girls with what he'd done to Donna. _Why would he ever...? _He saw the dark look on his face when the girls began to fade. He watched the relief and joy when they'd discovered they were back with Nine. Were he and his dimensional duplicate really so different? He watched Rose begin to cry with joy, and his hearts sank. Had he really changed so much, gone so far? Then he heard it, the voice, the most evil, most dark voice he'd ever heard.

"You wanted the Valeyard, Sara. You're wish is my command."

"I failed," said Sara, the real Sara. "I couldn't save you. My fault." In that moment Ten realized what happened. He realized he'd died. He'd regenerated.

_If that version of the Doctor regenerates in the mindset of the Time Lord Victorious with nothing to pull him back, he will become the Valeyard. _The words ripped through him, and he watched as an entire universe tore itself apart from the paradox his future self... No... from the paradox **HE **had created. He relived that moment, feeling every life, every person, every time line unravel, knowing it was **all **his fault. It was worse than anything he'd ever felt, worse than losing the war, worse than losing Gallifrey, even worse than losing Rose.

_What is it! What's wrong! _shouted Nine's mind. But Ten couldn't answer. _I'm coming in._

_No_, answered Ten. _Don't_. There would be no point in trapping his counterpart here too. He was in the library again, on his knees, trembling. Davros had been right. He was the destroyer of worlds. Ten watched as Sara ran into the room, being chased by her memory of him. He watched as she refused to read from the book. She refused to steal his name, and disappeared. Several times Ten watched, kneeling as the scene played out over and over again. He'd trapped her. He'd trapped her in her own perpetual hell. And there was no way to save her, no way to bring her back. She was stuck. And he was stuck with her. Forever.

"Doctor?" Ten could hear Rose talking to Nine. "Doctor, what's happening? Can he help her?"

_Help her_, thought Ten. Like he'd helped all those people in Rose's original universe. What was the point of trying to keep his name hidden, if this was the kind of damage he'd do anyway? Wait. What if...?

Ten got to his feet, blocking Sara's view of the book. Immediately, she looked at him, eyes full of fear.

"Please..." she started just as before. "It's not your fault, Sara. It's mine." He stepped forward, taking her firmly by the shoulders. "I should have done this before," he said.

"Please don't," begged Sara. "I'm sorry I ran. I was just scared." She tried to pull away. "I didn't mean to run!"

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm sorry," he apologized. "I am. So. So. Sorry." Ten leaned in and whispered into her ear.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Nine watched the tenth Doctor lean forward. He saw his lips move. He recognized his name with surprise. And he watched Sara gasp in a huge breath. Her hands shot up, bumping Nine's out of the way. She'd placed her fingers on Ten's temples, and blinked in realization.

"NO!" she shrieked, fear in her eyes. Ten instantly backed away, giving Sara her space. "It's alright," Nine comforted her. Sara jumped off the bed to stand next to Nine and Rose. Ten grimaced.

"Sara, I'm sorry," started Ten. "I didn't know. I didn't understand. I'm thick. Really. Really. Thick. And..." He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. When he looked back up at the human girl, so young, so brave, he had tears in his eyes. "If you never forgive me, I'll understand. I'm so sorry. I won't try to stop you from staying with him." He nodded towards Nine. "Not anymore." He swallowed, and ran his hands over his face. "I don't deserve you as a companion." He glanced at Rose. "I don't deserve anyone."

No one spoke, and tension filled the room.

"Well," said Ten, still teary eyed. "I'd better be off. Bit of trouble I've got to deal with." He turned to leave, paused, and looked back. "I'm SO sorry." A moment later he was running down the corridor, heading for the exit. Several of the tears he'd been holding back tumbled down his face. He was a monster, and he knew it.

Sara watched him leave, her entire body shaking, feeling nearly lethargic as she rested her hand against the bed she previously occupied.

"I'm sorry." She said to Nine in a low voice.

"Nothing to be sorry for." He answered reassuringly.

She shook her head. "I remembered both. Being here with Lilly, Rose and you. We were all celebrating and then I was back on his TARDIS, the Valeyard was there, I know it was him. Then, I felt the-" She nearly choked on the words.

"It's all right." He said glancing back at Rose. "You mind giving us a minute?" He simply wasn't prepared to tell Rose about the repercussions of her dimension at the moment.

Rose looked at the two with apparent concern before nodding reluctantly. "Course, will be in my room."

Nine sighed thinking about his counterpart and how he simply inferred he played along with Sara's delusion of her time sensitivity being extrapolated from a TV program.

He resented doing this, it reminded him of the first time he had to talk with Lilly about her future knowledge and Sara had just emerged from a catatonic state. At least he could reassure himself that she would never fall into the hands of her past abuser again but he knew hiding the truth and playing along had also been one of his counterpart's downfalls.

Nine offered Sara his hand, which she took and he assisted her back onto the medbay bed she had previously occupied. If he could, he would have delayed this discussion until later, for when Sara had fully recovered but Lilly was still out there and he couldn't stand wasting another second. He would just have to be as gentle as he possible.

"What is it?" Sara asked alarmed. "Is Lilly…?" She thought for a moment. "The Master is here and he's going to bring back Gallifrey, I know it and-"

He raised his hand. _Bring back Gallifrey?! _He thought. _No. Can't think 'bout that now. _Gallifrey would have to wait a minute. "Sara we just need to have a talk. I know this is difficult but I need your help to locate Lilly."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "But Ten had her and-"

"Lilly escaped and I think with your ability, you might be able to sense her."

Sara frowned. "Sense her?" She paused. "I'm not telepathic."

"No." He said gently. "But like Lilly you are Time Sensitive."

Sara started to shake her head in refusal. "No, I'm from another dimension where this is all a TV show called-"

"Dr. Who? Lilly told me this before."

"You don't believe me?" Sara asked incredulously.

"You have abilities that connect you to the vortex. Time energy. Your mind is helping you translate those moments into things you can comprehend."

"No, I saw seven seasons of it as a TV show and I know in the next episode that-"

He took her hands. "You've gone through a traumatic experience and your mind has difficulty coping. I understand."

"Understand?" She repeated. "My Doctor didn't say a word. He just played along and-"

"And that was very wrong but now you're here, I can teach you."

"Teach me?" She repeated. "I had to try to get that Doctor to stop breaking fixed points in time. I was careful but still, what I know is from a TV show. It's fiction!"

She remembered Lilly's words about not telling the Time Lords what they know because it went beyond their comprehension. Was this what she meant?

The Doctor gently squeezed her hand. "Think you know by now it's not fiction, don't you Sara?"

"My universe is gone. Your universe is gone." She muttered blankly. "I heard the Valeyard say it. "You're wish is my command."

"When did you hear that?"

"On his ship. I don't know how."

He was astounded to see another human so acutely aware to time as Lilly was, even more to the point that she could sense alternate timelines.

"I'm teaching Lilly how to use her time sensitivity. Only when there is an immediate threat or to save a life. Can teach you too."

"Teach me? It's all from a TV show!" Sara exclaimed, pressing her hand to her forehead.

"Sara, relax, promise, we will work this out." He said soothingly.

"You think I'm crazy. That I'm just making this up!"

"No, but you were traumatized for weeks. The mind has difficulty coping." He paused. "Having them appear as episodes might have helped to ground you."

"I'm not time sensitive!" She declared vehemently.

He sighed. After the weeks she spent under certain duress, he couldn't blame her for clinging to this fantasy.

_It's too much for her. So much like Lilly. _" 'S alright, Sara. I'll help you through this.

"Help me?" She said blankly.

"Will work this out. I just ask you to keep an open mind."

"An open mind." She repeated. "I watched Christina die right in front of me. Couldn't forget that if I tried. I tried to stop him from breaking the fixed point in time and…"

" 'S not your fault."

"Yes it is! Now the Master is here and Gallifrey…"

"Now, that we're here, I need you to do me a favor. Lilly and I have one other rule. No fortune telling."

"Fortune telling?" Sara repeated, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I left my tarot cards and Ouija board back at home."

He grimaced. _Maybe a poor choice of words. _He watched her slump against the wall nearest her bed, her eyes looking dull as she stared at the console at the opposing side. Nine knew he had to exert more caution since he didn't want Sara to return to her previous catatonic state now that he had just gotten her back.

"Time sensitives like you and Lilly are extremely special. Especially human time sensitives. 'S not like reading tarot cards. Once in a while there are very rare people that are able to feel and see time and at the same time make sense of it." He paused. "You and Lilly, I believe are two of those people."

"No." Sara said adamantly. "That's not right. I remember all the shows and my friends, we used to watch them together. It wasn't even my idea. They talked me into watching them and there was this crack in the Tower of London." She started to panic. "I saw interviews, the sets, everything. My dimension was obliterated but I know-"

"Just take a deep breath." Nine advised putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take this slowly. Just got you back." He shook his head. "Can't lose you again."

She shivered. "That's why you got Ten, you had him inside my head and he…" She put her hand over her mouth. "He told me your name." Sara was horrified. She had offered to let him wipe her mind of the information knowing that having found his name in the first place was where everything went wrong. She remembered being in the dream and suddenly Ten was there, trying to tell her things but it was so hard to hear him as she was forced to replay each event hoping maybe that time, she would get it right. Suddenly, he blocked her, whispering his name to her and then the nightmare around her vanished.

She had panicked seeing Ten right there next to her, certain he would demand her back but she then saw his face and was reminded of all the regret he displayed when he and Wilfred spoke in the café. It was almost worst then that, seeing his moments of self revulsion and she nearly wondered if she could start to pity him. She felt tears come to her eyes as she swallowed simply knowing it was too soon and right now she couldn't be sure of anything.

Nine had shifted to the bed she was sitting on, putting an arm around her, gently in support. "Had to. I'm still the Doctor. Had to do what it took to get you back."

"But your name, no one is supposed to know that! I never wanted it in the first place! He thought I stole it." She looked down at her feet for the first time taking in the state of her dress. _Where did my clothes go? _She shook her head and then looked at him pleadingly. "Can you remove it?"

He made a promise to Lilly to not use 'the final action' and regardless of how small the memory removal was, he wouldn't risk voiding his promise or damaging Sara's mind in the attempt. "No, promised Lilly I wouldn't. Could be consequences to memory removal." He paused looking at Sara. "My counterpart trusts you with our name and so do I."

"Lilly has it too."

Nine looked shocked and Sara looked frantic. "I had to. He was in her head making her do things and then I realized the only way to get him to stop-"

"Was to tell her." Nine finished. "Pretty clever for a human." He observed. "That wasn't the first time you heard our name was it?"

"History of the Time War" She muttered regretfully.

"But that's in Gallifreyian and you're-"

"Not supposed to read it." She hesitated. "The words shifted into English somehow."

The Artron and Huon particles inside this human must have given her the ability to read their ancient language. _No wonder the energy pulses felt familiar._

It was a subject for another time. "I need your help to get Lilly back."

"Get her back?" Sara looked confused. "But Ten was here and he-"

"She's got out of his TARDIS. Think she's in trouble." He reminded her.

She frowned as her stomach churned. Lilly was out there all alone as desperate as she was when she was imprisoned with Ten. "If she got out, she could be anywhere." Sara's brows furrowed. "I-"

"You're both special. Time sensitive. There might be a link , you both feeling time the way you do."

Sara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She honestly wished it could be that simple, that she could sense Lilly out with this supposed link that both Time Lords seemed to insist they had but all she could tell Nine was the events of the episode they were on. Playing with a loose thread in the hospital gown she found herself in upon waking up, she paused. Maybe that would be enough. Lilly knew what she did so maybe she would warn people in the area where the Master might attack. They did have a promise of some sort about warning Nine in order to save a life.

"There are derelict fields. Wastelands with rusted over construction materials where the Master could appear. He's been eating the homeless because his resurrection wasn't complete." She hesitated. "Ten already knows or should know. There's a man Naismith who will try to use the Master tonight. Rich billionaire. There's also Wilfred Mott who is very important. Ten knows him too." She glanced at Nine. "'I'm not sure what you want to know but that will happen soon."

It was a place to start that much was clear. Nine could determine Sara was trying to help but struggling to adapt after so much had been withheld from her would be a difficult task. He wasn't sure if he had made headway regarding her nature as a Time Sensitive and he knew how hard it was for Lilly to adapt to the concept. Of course, Lilly hadn't suffered from weeks of ongoing trauma from another Time Lord. Nine had to resolve to be patient and keep a closer eye on Sara for Time Sensitives were already prone to mental instability. Sara's already present condition allowed her to become catatonic and he swore he would exert caution in bringing her to terms with this situation. Lilly already had experience and as another Time Sensitive, could give Sara a form of balance. Humans were social creatures, which was why bringing Rose along had been a grounding principle for Lilly.

At any rate, Sara mentioned the derelict fields which was where he found his counterpart in the first place so he knew where to start his search. He smiled at Sara, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Thank you, Sara. Think I know where to start looking now."

"Wait," She protested. She struggled to get off the bed not wishing to occupy the infirmary another second. Regardless of Nine's good intentions for why she was here, she couldn't dismiss the flashbacks this wretched room gave her. "I need to go with you. I can help you find her."

"Wouldn't work, Sara." He paused. "It's been nearly two days."

"Two days of what?"

He grimaced. "Sometimes when the mind has experienced too much, simply can't cope." He struggled to find the right words. "Your mind had too much, you went away. Won't lose you again. Not with the Master out there."

"I can't stay here!" She looked around the sickbay in terror. "Please let me help you find her!" Using whatever spare adrenaline she had stored in her, she pulled away and got onto her feet however nothing could make up for the lethargy she felt in her limbs. Her legs felt like they were shaking beneath her.

He stood, taking a gentle but firm hold of her forearms. "Will bring Lilly back as soon as I find her, promise but you need to rest."

"Already have for two days!" Sara exclaimed. "It's my fault Lilly was taken in the first place." She attempted to pull away. If there was one thing he couldn't fault her for, it was self determination but Sara was his responsibility. He knew the Master and if Sara were to end up in his hands, he would never forgive himself. Besides, he wouldn't allow for his companion who had just emerged from a stupor to immediately start wandering about.

" 'S not the same, Sara." He kept his voice calm and soothing.

"Ten said he would let me go, that I could stay where I want so I'm free now. I can start over, have a life again. I'm not his responsibility." She protested.

He swore quietly to himself. He had felt the emotions rolling off his counterpart and after Sara had been jarred out of her stupor, Ten wasn't in the frame of mind to explain the circumstances to Sara. Likely, she only heard the part where Ten said he wouldn't force her to stay with him before running out the door. Would he be forced to explain Sara's wardship status all over again like he did with Lilly?

"He said he wouldn't force you to stay with him." Nine took a deep breath. "That you could remain with me."

"But I have a choice?" Sara demanded. "I can still start over and-"

"You do have a choice." Nine said gently. "You can stay with him or remain with me. 'S what he told you."

"What?"

"On Gallifrey, there's a law that says all Time Sensitives and other special classifications must be looked after, kept safe and protected." He paused. "My counterpart took you as his ward under that law."

"So Lilly is your ward." Sara deduced.

"Yes and now so are you."

Sara started to shake her head frantically as she began to panic. Why didn't Lilly tell her about this? She had just said that Time Lords couldn't handle what they knew but was this also why? She didn't understand.

"But I'm not Time Sensitive!" Her breath quickened as she backed away clutching her head. Nine took a step towards her, looking concerned. "It was a TV show, I swear it was, I wouldn't lie about that. I was in London. Even saw the last episode on the plane where Eleven turned into 12 and Gallifrey-" She paused seeing the look in his eyes. "It was fiction there and I know all the actors! Every single one. "

"Sara-"

"Even Ten asked me what roles the actor that played him as the Doctor also performed! I told him! Why would he do that? Why?"

He attempted to put his arms around Sara to comfort her while again silently cursing Ten for his way of handling the situation. Playing along and not dispelling the fantasy a Time Sensitive was likely to have always made things worse. Now Nine was seeing the very result of that and it broke his hearts. How had she managed to stay sane for so long after weeks of being imprisoned while Ten only humored a delusion?

"It's alright, Sara. We'll help you through this."

"No! I need to find Lilly. I have to go out there. She knows what episode we're on and I have to be there! It was fiction!"

"I know you really think you saw it that way." Putting a soothing tone in his voice, he tried to continue. " 'S not a TV show, Sara. It's real. Always was. The TV show is your mind helping you cope when you lost your dimension. I know-"

"NO!" She screamed in protest. Sara began to flail wildly in his arms as her breathing became staggered. "The Doctor was fiction there and Lilly knows that too! It's true, I saw the whole seven series and I KNOW them all!" She was starting to hyperventilate. He obviously thought she was mad and Ten, he just played along the whole time? He forced her out of her mind for this? "Why can't they all be FICTION AGAIN?" She shouted.

_She wasn't ready. Just out of a catatonic state. _Nine berated himself as he tried to maintain his firm hold on her as tears started to stream down Sara's face.

"Sara, calm down." He ordered. "Just take deep breaths."

But she wasn't listening. "It's a show, it's fiction! I just saw it in my mind! Ten was there, he'll tell you! It was there in my head! I need to go back. Make it fiction again just like it was!"

It wasn't a good sign. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes were beginning to lose focus.

"Sara, stay with me." Nine pleaded. " 'S alright. Will be okay. I'll-"

"I don't want to be here anymore." Sara couldn't take the burden of coming back to this world. Why was she even here? That corner of her mind was safer. "Want to go back, have it all be fiction again."

When her eyes just started to glaze over, Nine knew he had to act quickly before Sara retreated back into her catatonic state. If she did, he didn't even think Ten would be able to pull her out of it. _Shouldn't have told her like this. Not now. _

Swearing to himself that this would be the only occasion when he would be forced to take such an act, he swiftly moved his hands to her temple and gently ordered her to sleep. Immediately, she collapsed into his arms and he felt a tremendous burden of guilt for even just using that surface command. Lifting her up in his arms, he decided to put her in a spare bedroom rather then chance having her wakeup in the infirmary, remembering all too well her flashback in the parallel universe. After he dispensed with his charge, he called out to Rose who immediately emerged, a concerned expression on her face. "I heard her screaming. She alright?"

He frowned. "Most part but she's asleep."

"Asleep? She just woke up." Rose paused. "Was it him?"

He rubbed a hand over his face. "No, had to do it myself. She was starting to slip away again." He was filled with regret. His timing could not have been worse. "Rose, Sara's like Lilly. She can see things…" He paused. "My counterpart-"

She scowled. "Locked her up. Didn't care." She nodded. "Already know."

"Also didn't tell her the truth. Kept up an illusion."

"And you let him-" She was referring to Ten going into Sara's mind.

"If I didn't, she might have become a vegetable. Was very close to that. Nearly couldn't find her." He clenched his jaw. "Couldn't let her retreat again."

Rose's face softened and she looked into the bedroom where Sara was now asleep.

"But she's okay?"

"Only sleeping. She panicked, it was bad. Had no choice." When Nine got Lilly back, it would be easier. They could both help Sara through this predicament.

" 'M Sorry." Rose knew he wouldn't have taken such an action if it had not been absolutely necessary. "He made her sick. Not your fault." She paused. "What can I do?"

"Need you to keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't leave when she wakes. Going to find Lilly and bring her back." Nine said. He could only pray he would find her in time.

"He didn't hurt her, yeah?"

"From what he said, no. Tried to keep her asleep but she escaped. Sara told me where to look."

"Then you'll find her." Rose smiled. "Know you will."

He nodded to his companion fondly before turning and heading out of the TARDIS, deadlocking the doors behind him. Nine knew the power wouldn't hold long since he had been forced to drain ten years of his life every twelve hours to keep minimal systems operating and his TARDIS alive. As an extra means of security, he removed a long, thick piece of metal with a series of half cylinder indentations, with pins meant to fit right into the grooves. Using his sonic screwdriver, he managed to warp the metal into fitting the dynamorphic wafer tubular lock he set in place.

His expression became grim as he made his way to the wasteland that Sara had indicated. He could only hope that he would find Lilly in time.

Wilfred had been surprised to receive the Doctor's call in a near desperate tone asking that they meet for which Wilfred suggested a local café just near Covent Gardens. Upon his arrival, Wilfred spotted the Doctor looking completely forlorn over a cup of tea he took to repetitively stirring.

"Doctor?" Wilfred asked taking the seat right across from him. He knew something was dreadfully wrong given the fact that he could barely look Wilfred in the eye.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor replied, his face a mixture of regret and absolute sorrow.

"Sorry for what?" Wilfred inquired.

"For everything." The Doctor threw up his hands. "He was right. He was always right. The destroyer of worlds, that's me."

Wilfred shook his head. "No you didn't.."

"But I did, a future version of me did and if I die…" The Doctor swallowed.

"You said your people change, like, your whole body."

"That's the point." The Doctor shook his head. "Everything I am right now dies and a new man," He grit his teeth. "A worse man goes sauntering away. And I'm dead and then everyone is dead."

"A worse man?" Wilfred repeated.

"What have I done?" The Doctor seemed frantic.

"What is this about?" Wilfred asked.

"Sara," The Doctor said. "She tried to warn me. Lilly too."

"Who is Lilly?"

The Doctor ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Another life I ruined and she's out there, alone, unprotected."

"But I know you. You'll help her."

"I'm not fit to help anyone. I should never have had companions in the first place." He murmured. "Look what happened to Donna."

"Did what you had to do at the time right?" Wilfred paused. "But you're so clever, you might be able to fix her. Get her memory back?"

The Doctor could only look at him mournfully. "If she remembers me, her mind will burn, then she will die." He looked away. "There's nothing I can do."

Wilfred was crushed but he knew it was only a scant possibility. He had to try for Donna's sake. "So who d'you have now? Sara?" He frowned remembering the Doctor mentioning another name. "Lilly? You can find her, I know it."

"No one now." The Doctor was plainly miserable. "What I did to Lilly-" He paused, taking a deep breath. "Sara was catatonic and I barely got her out but seeing her-" Tears started to stream down his face. "I did so many terrible things, so many things wrong-" He choked on his words as he started to break down right in front of Wilfred.

"Oh my word." Wilfred hardly knew what to say so he decided to merely wait and offer his presence as consolation. With all this man had done and endured, he had never once wept so openly before and it was an utter shock to Wilfred to see it now. _Donna would know what to say. _But that Donna wasn't here to offer the words that Doctor needed to hear and so Wilfred would have to stand in her stead, imagining what his granddaughter might say.

"Can you make it better?" Wilfred asked. "If that girl is out there alone, can you still help her?"

The Doctor looked up at him slowly. "Lilly." He muttered. "Probably would run if I tried."

"Have to start somewhere." Wilfred advised. "Why not with her?"

The Doctor gazed at him, carefully wiping his face and nodded. Lilly was out there all alone and the Master was on the loose. If the Master got his hands on Lilly…it was one life but at least it was a start and it was better to focus on that then all the lives his future self obliterated in one foul swoop.

"You and Donna," The Doctor said. "Always have the right thing to say." He stood up shakily and glanced down at Wilfred. "Merry Christmas." The Doctor told Wilfred before rushing out the door. He now had a purpose he needed to complete. Lilly was young, easily frightened, and skittish. He needed to locate her, return her to safety before the Master found her first. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the air as alarm prickled through him. _Am I took late? _He departed in a swift run.

**A/N: If anyone was confused about which universe was destroyed, hopefully this chapter clarifies it but I did go through and make it known in chapter 4. This is a longer chapter here. More psychological and a bit less action but I hope it's enjoyed anyway. Don't worry. Sara and Lilly will come together soon! We both thank you for the reviews!**


	6. Time Sensitive

**Warning: For those that read Lost in Time, my story, I would suggest you read the latest chapter of that first before this…some parallels to it that would give you clarification. I had to make sure I got that one up before I posted this one.**

Lilly turned a corner, feeling her whole body shake, wondering whether Ten had indeed located her. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, grief became evident as she was forced herself to look around, examining the sky that was still the right shade of blue of her original home universe. Home. She never imagined how much she longed to be with her family, to see her own little brother then this moment. Now she was alone and so very scared, far more frightened then she ever had been before.

Nine had his rules and sometimes he had been frightening but he had cared for her, that she knew. She considered him a friend and he never treated her like property. Ten. She couldn't endure what Sara had been subjected and at this moment the thought of being his prisoner was more terrifying then what lay ahead on the streets. She remembered Sara saying he restrained her on a bed in a stasis field as well as locking her in her room in solitary confinement. Even though Lilly couldn't contemplate taking her own life, she was beginning to see how Sara could have become so desperate to make such a move.

She forced herself to continue walking. _If he catches me, he'll lock me up to, just like Sara. _She could feel tears slide down her face as she continued to make her forward march. Where would she go? She wondered whether Jack Harkness would help her but from what she remembered of the episode, Torchwood was disbanded which was how Naismith got the Immortality Gate. She remembered Jack being in a space station drinking away his grief since he lost Ianto, his romantic interest.

That wouldn't work. She had no idea how to get up to that particular space station and even if remnants of Torchwood Three existed, she needed money to take the two hour train ride to Cardiff. She might be able to ask UNIT for assistance. They didn't necessarily always agree with the Doctor's choices and if she pleaded her case, they might possibly protect her and not turn her back over to him. However Sara had mentioned she had woken up in UNIT headquarters and from the explanation, it sounded like they might have supplied her to him. Could she convince them she was more valuable to them then their relationship with the Time Lord Victorious? She frowned. What would stop them from imprisoning her just like the Doctor intended to do?

Then she thought about Wilfred Mott who seemed as a character, a likable and truly decent person. He and his daughter had helped Rose and let her stay with them during the episode "The Stolen Earth" requiring little in explanation. Surely if she explained her circumstances, Wilfred Mott would offer her the same support. Maybe he could help her find Jack Harkness in this universe and the rest would start to fall into place. At the moment, he seemed like the best option and considering this was "The End of Time" episode, she remembered seeing him near the wasteland area where the junkyard was located. The TARDIS hadn't parked far from that location and she remembered seeing it but it was a risk. She didn't know the time of day when Wilfred Mott would be present there and the Master was also using that same spot as a feasting ground.

_What other choice do I have? _She shivered. She would have to be careful because from everything she knew, the Master was considerably worse then the Time Lord Victorious and the thought of being eaten by him…she hesitated. "No, I need to do this. It's the best shot I have." She told herself reassuringly. The Master was just one person. She remembered the time where she was certain she would die as the gelth surrounded her, but she had been spared from that untimely death..

_If I survived them, survived the Timed Lord Victorious, I can do this. _

She had to backtrack to make her way to the derelict junkyard and by the time she made it there, evening was starting to fall. _Is this right? I thought they met during the day. _Cautiously, she walked the surrounding perimeter hoping that for once, luck might be on her side.

Of course, lately, fortune and chance never seemed to act in her favor. A hand suddenly fell on her shoulder and she gasped in panic, turning around.

"No!" She cried out upon coming face to face with the Master.

"Well, it seems dinner has come early." He said grasping her other arm. "And you smell delicious."

He suddenly flashed to a distinct shade of blue right in front of Lilly's eyes and she felt bile creep in her throat seeing his entire skull light up beneath his skin. It certainly looked more vivid then it had in the show. Trembling, she tried to think quickly. "Y-you don't want to do this." She protested.

"But I really, really do." The Master countered examining her, while actually licking his lips in anticipation. "You'll be a wonderful appetizer."

Lilly could feel the electricity crackle through his skin as she took a shuddering breath. "Lord Master," She started and he hesitated startled. The formal title had given the Time Lord Victorious pause so she hoped it would work the same here. "I-I need your help."

"How sweet, you actually know who I am." The Master said mockingly. "Of course, introductions first before I eat." Looking down at her, he narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"

"Lilly Brooks." She swallowed hard meeting his eyes. "Koschei." Using his name that he was referenced to at the Time Lord academy had given him immense surprise.

"How do you know that name?" He demanded.

She hated using the reference the Doctor had forced upon her but it might be the only thing that kept her alive. "I'm time sensitive." She explained. "I know the past and the future."

"Well, isn't this my lucky day." The Master smirked. "And you're out here all by yourself? A rare little gem like you?"

"I need your help." She attempted to make it sound convincing hoping her terror would be convincing in this pretense. "The Doctor, I barely escaped him and I don't want to go back."

"The Doctor?" The Master seemed intrigued. "You know where he is?"

"I know where he will be but I need protection." She wasn't sure if her ploy was working. If she could distract him and convince him to go to a location where the Doctor might appear, she could have the opportunity to escape. "Please, you can't let him get me again! You have to promise-"

He suddenly jerked her forward. "A lot to consider, little visionary." He seized her chin. "So tell me, what's in my future?"

"Well, you are going to-"

"You know I have no patience for words." He said cutting her off. "Not when there are far more exciting ways to get what I need."

Suddenly, he seized her head and Lilly was filled with a sudden horror, as he placed his fingers on her temples. "Now, my little psychic, let's see what we have in your mind."

While Ten had made the attempt to be gentle seeking entry into her mind, Lilly was screaming in agony as the Master was forcing his way, penetrating the outskirts of her mind. Black spots seemed to color her vision as she felt his mind boar into hers while she shrieked in pain.

Suddenly the pain was gone as she was suddenly torn out of the Master's grasp. She was dizzy, disoriented as she was abruptly pushed to the side.

"Oh, now, Doctor, that is cheating, wouldn't you say?" The Master goaded and Lilly turned in panic, seeing up close the person who had come to her rescue.

"Didn't realize this was a game." Ten said coolly before turning to Lilly, meeting her terrified expression. He made an attempt to soften his tone. "Just wait here." He ordered before turning back to the Master.

Lilly managed to stumble onto her feet, slowly starting to back away while giving in to a silent prayer. _Oh God, help me._

Before the Doctor could grab hold of the Master, he jumped, soaring through the air. And before Lilly could even turn to run, the Doctor turned to look at her. His eyes went wide with recognition. Instantly, his demeanor darkened. His lips pressed together in a terrifying display of rage. He was beyond angry, beyond furious. Time crackled around him as he took one quick step forward, grabbing the sides of Lilly's head, fingers on her temples. She caught hold of his wrists, and gasped. Fear coursed through her as her blood ran cold. Was this what he meant by no second chances? Was he going to do to her what he'd threatened before the paradox? Was he going to erase her mind?

Without hesitation, the Time Lord shoved his way into her, penetrating past the shambles that were once her defenses. He thrust himself forcefully through her outskirts, the power of his mind threatening to overtake her. Just when she felt like she might lose herself to the overwhelming control of the alien mind plunging into her own, he stopped, filling the hole the Master'd left behind.

"Breathe," he ordered. "Lilly, breathe."

She inhaled, gasping for breath. She hadn't even realized she'd stopped breathing.

"Look at me."

Her eyes didn't move. She was staring at his chest.

"Lilly!" She heard him shout inside and outside of her mind. "Look. At. Me."

Her eyes raised to look into the Doctor's on their own.

"Good." He swallowed. His eyes darted frantically back and forth between hers. "That's good. You're... good. Good." He let out a sigh of relief, nodding slightly.

Lilly could feel Ten pulsing within her. He wasn't just hovering on the outside of her inner self. He was doing something. She could feel it.

"Just keep looking at me," he ordered. "You're going to be alright. Promise. I... I'm fixing it. What he did. I'm fixing it. Just keep looking at me."

"Plea..se," Lilly attempted to beg for her life, body trembling in his hands.

"Don't try to talk," he told her. "Just relax. I've got you. I'm not going to hurt you. You got that? I won't hurt you."

Lilly winced at a sharp pain from the place where the Master broke through.

"It's alright," calmed the Doctor, sensing Lilly's discomfort. "It'll be alright. Just takes a bit. But you're going to be fine. I caught it in time." He tried to give Lilly a reassuring smile.

She began to feel a warm sensation flooding into her mind, and she knew it was coming from the Doctor's intrusion. The warmth soothed the searing streaks of pain left from the Masters invasion.

"Ohh," Lilly responded to the Doctor's mental touch. It was starting to feel better. "I'm sorry," he offered. "No human should have to go through this."

"What... did..."

"What did he do?" the Doctor finished her question for her. She nodded. "He wasn't gentle. That's all. Too much for a human. Not that it's bad to be human," he added. "Humans are good. Well, can be good. But you. You're good. Right? Right. Lilly, the good human." Ten started to ramble. "I'm sorry, Lilly. For what I said, for what I did before. I was wrong. Really wrong." Ten grimaced. And for a moment Lilly thought he might cry. "I've done... things," he confessed with a nod. "And it all went wrong. I was just trying to..." Ten's voice broke. He couldn't even say. "But it didn't work. Made a royal mess, you could say. You... you were right about that paradox. People... people died. They all..."

Lilly could feel Ten's grief cresting through his mental shields. She could tell his feelings, his emotions, were far more profound than what was actually coming through to her. Because of how deeply he was imbedded in her, he was only a breath away from entering her inner self, only a breath away from passing through her outskirts. And with him teetering on the edge of her mind, he couldn't hide all of himself from her.

Lilly remembered the cafeteria scene from the show when the Doctor almost cried in front of Wilf. He'd felt so awful for the mistakes he'd made on Mars. He'd felt so guilty for thinking he was the Time Lord Victorious. On the show, that's when all the fans knew he'd be the Doctor again. Lilly'd tried to give him the benefit of the doubt so many times in the last few days, hoping he'd snap out of the rough time he was going through. But could she trust him now. This wasn't the show. This was real life. And whether in the show or in real life, the Doctor was a master at manipulation. Still, would it make any difference whether she believed him or not? Either way he had her back in custody.

Besides that, if he was back to being just the Doctor again, he would need her support. He could need someone to back him up, give him hope. With Rose, Sara, and Nine dead from that paradox, who else was there to help him? No. Lilly knew she was on her own. Helping the Doctor would be completely up to her. And if he was still the Time Lord Victorious only trying to manipulate her, her reaction to what he was saying could easily sway whether or not he was able to snap himself out of it.

She knew what she needed to do. Lilly still couldn't speak, and she was still afraid of him. But she had to try. So, hoping this would work, she formed the words in her mind. _I forgive you. My friend. _She offered her friendship with the hope it would help him maintain or regain being only the Doctor once again. After all, she'd forgiven Nine for the attempted final action, and she knew what it felt like to be responsible for the deaths of innocent people. In a small way, she understood him. She understood the Doctor.

The Doctor gasped in a shuddered breath, staring at Lilly in complete amazement, in unbelievable surprise. His lips quivered, and tears of gratitude came to his eyes. How had he never seen what a treasure this human was before? How could he have ever been so blind? The warmth spreading through Lilly's mind suddenly tripled in volume, filling her very soul with the utter gratitude he felt at her thoughts.

"Thank you," he uttered in a broken whisper.

Lilly noticed the Doctor's eyes widen at something behind her. Suddenly, he pulled her forward, keeping a firm grip on her mind, and changed places with her just in time to be hit by a full blast of hot white energy from the Master's hands. The Doctor groaned under the blast he'd taken in Lilly's place, and struggled to remain standing. The Master laughed.

"Well, look at that," he called out, taunting the Doctor. "She must be pretty important to you then."

Again, the Master hit the Doctor with a blast of energy. He groaned, holding back a scream. But he couldn't keep upright. Dropping to his knees, he took Lilly down with him.

"Let go," offered Lilly, finally able to speak.

"Not yet," answered the Doctor. He looked at her with a worried expression. "Not yet," he whispered.

She could feel the work he was doing to her mind increase in speed. He had to finish. He couldn't let go. He couldn't let go until he was done. The Master stalked up to the pair, coming way too close for comfort. Squatting down to be eye level with them, he looked questioningly between the Doctor and Lilly. The Doctor still didn't release her. He didn't take his eyes off of hers.

"What could be so important about a member of such a degenerate species?" demanded the Master.

"Hmph." _You married one_, thought Lilly. Her mind went back to scenes from 'The Sound of Drums' and 'Last of the Time Lords.' She remembered when the Master was comforting Lucy just after the Toclofane tore that reporter to shreds. She remembered the loving way he treated her just before the paradox took hold on the Valiant, offering her a jelly baby. And she remembered how the two of them enjoyed each other's company as they watched the decimation of the population below.

_How do you do that? _wondered the Doctor, seeing Lilly's thoughts.

"How indeed?" asked the Master. He'd sensed Lilly's thoughts too. With the Master's energy blasts taking a toll on the Doctor's body, and preforming such delicate mind work at the same time, the Doctor hadn't been able to maintain his shields strong enough to keep the Master from sensing his thoughts. So, as the Doctor heard and saw the thoughts Lilly accidentally sent his way, the Master heard and saw them too.

With an evil grin the Master extended his hand, placing it on the Doctor's chest, preparing to hit him point blank range with another blast of energy. Lilly felt the Doctor begin to frantically pull out of her. He was moving as fast as he could without hurting her. At least he'd finished repairing her mind.

_Lilly, I'm pulling out, _the Doctor warned her_. It's going to feel... weird_, he tried to explain. _You've got to fill the void._

Just as the Doctor reached the outer edge of the defenses he'd rebuilt for her, but before he had completely gone, and before he could explain what filling the void meant, the Master let his charge lose, hitting the Doctor full force. It knocked him backwards, leaving Lilly with no support. She collapsed to the ground, unable to move. Before the Doctor landed on his back, however, the Master caught him, pushing him forward perpendicular to Lilly. The Master got up and walked a few feet away only to turn around and come back. He crouched on the other side of the human so the two Time Lords were facing each other, one on either side of the time sensitive creature.

"Lucy was special," explained the Master to the girl. "Still," he added, "maybe you'd like to take her place." Lilly watched as the Master leaned down towards her, the Doctor unable to do anything to stop him. But instead of taking advantage, he breathed in her scent like he was inhaling the aroma of a perfectly cooked turkey dinner. "Or maybe not," he added, licking her slowly from just below the collar bone all the way to her temple. He breathed in her scent again.

"You had estates," Lilly tried to distract him from eating her. "On Gallifrey," she tried to remember his lines from the show. "Your father's land."

The Master looked at her, curiosity written all over his face. He reached for her mind. "If you burn her mind," warned the Doctor, "she'll never be any good to you."

The Master paused his attempt, fingers hovering over her temples. He looked into Lilly's eyes, and smiled at the fear he saw there before becoming serious. "What else," demanded the Time Lord.

"Red grass," said Lilly. "Lots of red grass. All the way to Mount... Mount..." What was it called?!

"Mount Perdition," the Master finished for her. He sighed, and smiled lovingly at the memory. "We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky." He pulled back from Lilly, sitting on the ground. "Look at us now, Doctor."

Lilly was relieved his attention had shifted away from her. "How many people have you killed?" asked the Doctor, still not able to get up.

For a moment there was a look of dread on the Master's face. He looked at Lilly. "I am. SO. Hungry." He licked his lips.

"You're reanimation went wrong," tried the Doctor. "That energy... Your body's ripped open. And now you're killing yourself."

"But that's..." The Master went off, describing all the things he could possibly eat, all the things he could smell from the homes and restaurants nearby. Lilly almost held her breath, trying not to be noticed. "And she's just laying there, waiting for me." He inhaled, nostrils flaring at her scent. He licked his lips again, staring at her.

"Stop it," ordered the Doctor. And for once he listened. "What if I ask you for help?" he asked.

The Master laughed.

"There are more at work tonight than you and me," he explained. "I've been told something is returning."

"And here I am," said the Master with sarcasm. "No, something more."

"Why don't you ask your pet?" He nodded towards Lilly. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "It hurts," he said to her. The Master moved closer towards her, staring directly into her eyes. She cringed. "It hurts. The noise in my head. One two three four. One two three four. One two three four. Stronger than ever before." He took a breath. "What is it!" he demanded.

Lilly swallowed, hesitating. What should she say? If she answered him, would it make things worse? Was her presence already changing events? "I don't know," she lied.

"Don't. Lie. To me!" demanded the Time Lord, his hand instantly at her throat. "No." The Master moved his hand to the Doctor's head, threatening his life with an energy blast. "What is it?" he asked again.

"There's no noise," tried the Doctor. "It's just your insanity."

"No. She knows." He paused. "Look at her, Doctor. She knows." He turned his full attention on the human. "Answer the question," he demanded.

Lilly trembled, looking up at the Master so close to her. Her bottom lip quivered. She looked at the Doctor. If the Master killed him, there would be no hope of stopping Gallifrey. "It's the end of time," she answered, being as vague as she could.

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. "I was told the end of time," he said in astonishment looking at Lilly.

"And the rest." The Master glared at her. "I know there's more."

"If... if you find out..." She turned her head towards the Doctor, finding she was able to move again. The Doctor's eyes were full of questions and concern. Maybe if the Master realized the severity of the situation, he wouldn't pursue after the drums. He didn't want to die. And bringing back Gallifrey would surely kill him. Still, maybe she could avoid telling him altogether. "If you find the answer, if you find out, we could all die. Everyone. Everywhere. Everywhen. Forever. No do-overs. No fixing with a paradox. No coming back. And that includes you."

The Master sighed, dropping his hand from the Doctor's head. "But you know what it is." "Yeah." She swallowed. "Then what would you suggest?" "Let the Doctor help you block the signal."

"Then it's a signal." The Master smiled at the information he'd just gleaned from Lilly. "Who sent it?"

"Lilly," warned the Doctor. "Don't say anything else, please."

She looked up at the Doctor, worry painted all over his face. He was afraid the Master would be able to manipulate too much information from her, causing the event she'd just described.

"You said 'could,'" quoted the Master. "We **could **all die. That means it's not fixed." "She's not Time Lord," warned the Doctor. "Humans aren't as exact in there terminology as we are." "Oh, but she's time sensitive, Doctor. She'll be exact enough. Tell me," he ordered. Lilly paused. "Don't," warned the Doctor. "I won't."

"Have it your way, Doc-tor," the Master spat out the other Time Lords name with disdain, and shot him with another blast of energy, sending him onto his back. The Master reached for Lilly.

"No!" She recoiled from him. But he grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her easily to her feet and over towards the Doctor's nearly unconscious form.

The Master planned to travel far and fast away from the Doctor, but he couldn't do that if his hands were full of the human girl he was taking with him. He needed both his hands to power his jumps with the energy he could expend. Maybe she'd even know where the Doctor's Tardis was. Searching the Doctor's nearly unconscious body for the key, he was disappointed to only find his sonic screwdriver. "It'll have to do," he said to himself.

"Please," she started. "Just let me go." She tried to pull out of his grasp.

He ignored her. Using the leather sash from the Doctor's coat, he began lashing the squirming human to his body. The more she tried to fight him off, the more he smiled. She was kind of fun. Suddenly, the Master pulled the sash into place. Lilly squeaked at how tight it was. She couldn't even move. He had her.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked. He pulled on Lilly's hair, moving her head back so he could look into her eyes.

"Whatever I want," he answered. She grabbed hold of him in startled surprise, when he blasted high into the air unexpectedly.

"Lilly!" It was Nine running towards them. But Lilly didn't hear over her own screams. He'd just missed her.

Sara woke up with a start finding herself lying in a bed within a room that was completely unrecognizable to her in appearance. She looked around in utter confusion knowing it didn't resemble her usual dwelling on the TARDIS and pushing the beige comforter aside, she forced herself onto her feet.

_What happened? _Her legs felt a bit stiff to stand on as though she hadn't used them in a while but as she glanced down to taking in the hospital gown she was wearing, she suddenly remembered. She placed her hand on the side of the wall feeling queasy at the mere reminder of her conversation with Nine where he had informed her that her memories of watching Dr. Who had been nothing but a fantasy. '_Having them appear as episodes might have helped to ground you.' _It was utterly frustrating and he had treated her like she was mad but she remembered the state she was in before. _Am I really losing my mind? _She wondered.

Ten had only played along too pretending to believe her but she remembered to clearly when he informed Nine that both Lilly and herself shared the same 'delusion of seeing it on the tele'. Lilly had tried to warn her that Time Lords couldn't handle what they knew and the fact that they obtained their knowledge from a TV show was beyond them. She swallowed knowing she should have followed up and sought an explanation because from what she remembered, her talk with Nine couldn't have gone any worse.

_I couldn't lie to him. _She shook her head. How could she pretend to be something she wasn't? She remembered the look on his face when she tried to deny that she was time sensitive and felt compelled to explain the series. He stared at her in sheer disbelief combined with a dose of pity and compassion but the incredulity was made prominent on his face. In that moment, she wanted to escape her surroundings and disappear into her dreams where once more she could see her friends gathered around the TV set where the show was fiction and she wasn't being compelled to accept an alternative proposition. But then something happened and everything went dark.

_Oh God no. He wouldn't… _But she remembered feeling his hands on her temples and his voice ordering her to sleep and she shivered. _I thought he was different. Lilly said he was good. _Now she could hardly determine what that word meant anymore. Good. Bad. Doctor. Time Lord Victorious. Valeyard. In the end, she hadn't really escaped when she bolted from Ten in the parallel universe. She was forced to conclude she likely just run into an identical prison, this time of her own choosing. Nine called her his ward, which meant like Ten, he would never release her_. Is ward just a nice way of saying prisoner?_ Sure, he had been gentler in his demeanor then Ten in the past but in the end, a prison could still be a prison.

She felt tears starting to form and she pondered how difficult it had been for Lilly to go along with this pretense of time sensitivity. _Why did she do it? _Sara had difficultly fathoming to act like something she wasn't and she glanced down, giving herself a brief shake in self determination. She had to find a way out and get to Lilly so with that focus in mind, she stepped out of her room. The corridors were dimly lit and she was surprised to see Rose, asleep in a chair near the door she just exited with a novel still open in her hands. Glancing at the book, she saw it was the 'Tale of Two Cities', by Charles Dickens. _That's right. They might have just met the author. _She allowed herself a brief smile since it was rare thing to find someone who indulged in the classics and she briefly wondered if Rose would like the Bronte sisters as well. Quietly, she moved around her for it seemed that by her posture, Rose might have been put on guard duty before exhaustion claimed her. Time Lords from what she had seen seem to forget to account the human need to sleep although Ten had so often made that decision to simply render her unconscious in that regard.

She frowned as she made her way to the wardrobe room and struggled to find clothes in approximately her size. It was a difficult task not being used to the area herself and the low levels of light made locating matching shoes a herculean effort but Sara was determined. Finally, she was able to toss aside the hospital gown in disgust, as she made her way to the console room. It was deadlocked as she had expected it to be but she knew where the switches were to accomplish this task and quickly she ran to the door. As she pushed against it, she felt it yielding an inch but coming to a swift halt as it scraped against metal. _What the…? _Several more attempts seemed to prove futile and she grit her teeth in the realization that Nine had taken an additional security measure of padlocking the door from the outside. _No…I can't be trapped again. I won't. _She managed to pry her fingers out the small opening in the door to examine the device and to her chagrin, it seemed enormously complex. Her knowledge of the TV shows wouldn't assist her in this task and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the door, her fingers resting on the lock as she racked her mind for an alternative remedy. _Have to think. Any other way? Please? Don't leave me trapped here. Pleaasse?! _Suddenly dizziness started to overtake her and the room seemed to suddenly glow in a bright suffuse light that permeated from differing axis points around the console. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes giving herself a brief shake only to nearly stumble out the door into the night air outside. _What happened? _

The lightheadedness was passing as she saw the lock that had been engaged on the door had been completely fused and splintered on both sides. Maybe the pressure she put on the metal had caused it to give way and it was somehow weaker then the Time Lord had anticipated. At the moment, Sara didn't care. She closed the door behind her, making her way to the derelict fields praying that her assumption was right and that she would find Lilly there.

By the time she got there, what she did see made her freeze in horror as she witnessed the Master abscond with Lilly while Ten was simply lying there looking unconscious or… _No, he can't. Not now! It's too soon! _She watched Nine running in the direction of the Master and Lilly but she stood staring at Ten who was lying on the ground and she swallowed with difficulty as she moved to his side. Yes, she was scared of him and what she suffered at his hands was no small measure to forgive but she remembered his face as he looked at her, so defeated and so broken, she had to try to rouse him. "Doctor?" She asked but he was unresponsive and she could see the electrical burns that coursed his entire body. "No, not now." She whispered. "You still have things you have to do." Desperately, she put her hands on his shoulders to shake him, to pull him out of this state as he had pried her out of her stupor. "Please, not yet." She pleaded. "This isn't how it should happen."

Had she marred the timelines so badly that Ten in his hopelessness at seeing the resulting paradox had given up in his battle with the Master? _He was in my mind and a part of him… _She could feel him, that part of him in her mind, his realization, his horror, his doubt, his recrimination and all the pain that had occurred. '_I am not going to hurt you. I am sorry. I am so, so sorry.' _She could feel all his regret inside her as sank to her knees. "I'm sorry too." She told him. "I shouldn't have been there and then you wouldn't…" She felt a lump beginning to form in her throat as she realized they both carried a fair burden of guilt along with the stubbornness that had often been a roadblock.

Sara closed her eyes finding herself offering a prayer in desperation and suddenly she felt a massive wave of dizziness overcome her, far more then she experienced as her skin began to glow in a soft golden light that initially gravitated around her entire being until it moved on to encompass Ten. For a moment she smiled in wonder as the burns seemed to dissipate and his entire form seemed to revitalize, the particles around him covered him in a shimmering light until they finally vanished into his skin.

She was drained, made completely lethargic and found herself collapsing beside him unable to even hold her head up as she fell against the ground. _What just happened? _She thought slowly blinking at the stars, perplexed. Whatever just happened had depleted her, exhausted her and she struggled within herself to regain any semblance of motion on the trash ridden ground.

"What!?" Ten seemed to awake beside her. "What happ-" He had taken notice of her. "Sara!?"

He was certain the electrical discharge the Master had given him was fatal and he knew he had failed before giving way into unconsciousness in saving Lilly. That one simple goal to save her life and he lost. Ten knew he would die and regenerate leaving nothing to stand in the way between the Master and Lilly. He even remembered his fear of becoming the Valeyard, the very thing that destroyed an entire universe in an act of evil and contempt and he had pondered whether that would be the inevitable outcome.

But he hadn't regenerated at all. Ten was still very much alive however he was shocked to see Sara was lying beside him barely able to move and he searched his pockets for his sonic screwdriver before realizing it was absent. _The Master must have stolen it_. He had to return Sara to the TARDIS otherwise if the Master got his hands on both girls, the implications would be disastrous and her condition left him in a state of panic.

Quickly he lifted her up into his arms and was astonished that once on his feet, he had not only lived but all the wounds he incurred had promptly vanished. Indeed, he felt energized as if…he paused glancing down at his former ward. _Is it possible? An energy transfer of that magnitude and she's only human… _He would have to theorize later, right now the Master was still on the loose.

He walked quickly; heading in the direction of Nine's TARDIS as Sara attempted to move in his arms. "No," She protested. "Lilly, have to find her."

"I promise as soon as I get you back." He said reassuringly as he glanced around the premises looking to see if Nine was in view. Sara must have directed him here but he didn't know the Master like Ten did and hadn't experienced 'the year that never was' in such excruciating detail.

"Naismith." Sara murmured. "You can't let the Master finish the Gate."

"Naismith?" Ten asked, the name sounding familiar to him.

"Your Ood visions. He is tracking the Master too and he'll bring about the end of time." She shook her head. "Just leave me and go."

Ten wasn't about to make that mistake again but the scent of the Master was still within the proximity. If he could-

"What happened?" Nine came running up. "Thought you were…" His voice trailed off.

"Yes, me too." Ten said as Nine raised his eyebrows glancing down at Sara.

"Couldn't catch up to him and Lilly…" Nine said worriedly. "Don't know where he went." He grimaced. "His new body-"

"But I can." Ten said with determination. "Take her back, I'll go after Lilly." He told Nine as he shifted Sara into Nine's arms.

"What happened to her?" Nine demanded.

"Complicated." Ten said shortly. "And the Master stole my sonic."

"Here, use mine." Nine decided handing over his instrument. "I'll grab a spare from the TARDIS."

Ten wasted no time, sniffing the air before running off in a pre determined direction.

"No, Lilly, have to stay." Sara protested but she could hardly move and Nine was simply too strong.

"Don't think so." Nine told her. "Taking you home first."

_Home? What home? _Sara didn't have a home and Nine, he didn't even believe her. How could she live in a world where no one took her at her word? What if Ten didn't get Lilly back. The only other person that might make sense of it all was Lilly and now the Master had her. "No such thing." She muttered to herself as Nine grimaced looking down at her, knowing far too well what she meant. _What happened to her? How did she get out of the TARDIS? _Sara was a mystery very much like Lilly, one he intended to solve.

Lilly was terrified. Had the Master killed the Doctor? If she hadn't been there, she wouldn't have distracted him and now the Master had her. Her head throbbed as he brutally jumped into the air several times forcing her to cling onto him in desperation.

Several minutes later, he landed in a remote part of the junkyard with her in tow as he turned to examine his prize with satisfaction. "Now it's just the two of us." He said untying the sash, taking a firm grip on her arm. "No Doctor's around to interrupt." He grinned. "Must be a terrible burden, knowing what you know with all his little rules, hmm?" He seized her chin. "What do you say you get it off your chest?"

She was trembling, not daring to look at him in the eyes and this excited him as he forced her gaze to meet his, Lilly closed her eyes. "Who sent the signal?" He demanded.

"I don't know." The deceit was clear in her tone and her very expression.

"You think I don't know a liar when I see one, Lilly?"

She shook her head adamantly. "Did you kill him?"

He was puzzled at this sudden change in topic. "Kill who?"

"The Doctor. Did you kill him?" Her voice strained in fear.

"Oh, I certainly hope so. I gave it, how do you Americans say it, the good old college try."

There were tears coming down her face and the Master started to grow impatient with his new toy.

"Where is the Doctor's TARDIS? I need that technology." He interrogated her, seizing her other arm roughly.

"Don't do this. You don't want to do this." She said frantically. "You don't want to bring them back."

Now that was interesting. "Bring who back?" He asked and Lilly in her panic realized her mistake, shaking her head.

"Who?" He demanded, pulling her even closer. "Don't test me Lilly, I will burn your mind to get what I want. How long do you think you can stand it? Me, crawling inside all yours thoughts until there is no part of you left."

"I can't-"

"But you can or do I need to give you a demonstration again?" The Master asked, seizing her head, placing his fingers on each of her temples as he stared directly into Lilly's eyes testing her resolve. "Want to see who blinks first?"

Her mouth went dry as she felt her heart race inside her chest knowing that she could die here, her mind being burned alive, unable to resist and the Master would get everything he wanted.

"I-" She started to say.

Suddenly noise echoed all around them and she could see the helicopters coming into view as the Master glanced up in expectation, light illuminated the area as men surrounded them. Lilly found herself torn from the Master's grasp and brutally shoved aside into a pile of rubble as she watched in horror as they injected him with a sedative exactly like they did on the show. _But the Doctor isn't here…_

She pushed herself upwards, stumbling back as she covered her mouth knowing full well what was about to happen. _Is the Doctor really dead? Did I get him killed?_

Frozen, unable to move she watched helplessly as the Master was hoisted upwards and she started to hear the sound of gunfire. _Sounds like hail. _Her mind seemed to wander. _Or a car backfiring. We'll all be forced to turn into the Mas-"_

"No!" A familiar shout came from behind her as hands wrapped around her, pulling her further back from the scene.

_Doctor? _She thought he was dead but suddenly Ten was there, yelling at the Naismith's men who had seized the Master. Gunfire splashed all around him.

"Don't!" He yelled at the guards. "Let him go!" He warned. "You don't know-"

He started to run forward but suddenly Lilly's shoulder felt like it had ruptured in agony and she collapsed on the ground in a scream of pain.

"Lilly!" He immediately made his way back, hoisting the girl up into his arms as he started to sprint in the opposing direction of the gunfire towards Nine's TARDIS. _Will I make it? _She was already bleeding profusely as he calculated the injury in his mind by examining the wound and gunfire trajectory. _Brachial artery rupture. Have minutes… _A flash of a memory of Christina bleeding out on Mars ran through his mind. _No_, he thought. _Not again._ He had to cauterize the vein before she lost anymore blood and the girl was going into shock.

Putting her swiftly down on the ground, he took out Nine's sonic which he felt relief that his counterpart's version matched Ten's. Quickly, he alternated to the particular setting he required as the light at the end flickered in response.

"Lilly," He said fiercely. "You need to stay awake for me, can you do that?" He intoned, his eyes fixed on hers as she attempted to nod briefly. Ten grit his teeth seeing the fear clearly evident in her expression. "I'm so sorry but this is going to hurt." He decided not to lie to her, knowing like Nine he would do what he had to in order to save her life.

Pulling the collar of her shirt to one side, to better expose the wound, he began to expertly cauterize the brachial artery that was seeping within the injury as Lilly started to scream in agony. She screamed, arching her back as the sound waves of the sonic screwdriver burned their way through her body, closing off the gaping blood vessels ripped apart by the ricocheted bullet. Ten put his hand on her chest, forcing her body back to the ground, and holding her in place as he worked. When he was finally done, Lilly was lying still, hair soaked in sweat, clothes soaked in blood, and unconscious. The pain had been too much for her. Ten scanned her, and breathed a sigh of relief. She'd live.

He hoisted her into his arms and again started towards Nine's TARDIS. A moment later, though, he reconsidered. His own TARDIS wasn't too much further away. And knowing Nine's TARDIS was likely existing on minimal power reserves, Ten decided it would be better to use his own med bay to repair Lilly's broken body. The more energy Nine had to sacrifice to keep his TARDIS functioning would translate into less time he had to live. And the sooner he died, the sooner he would regenerate. Ten cringed. Nine would regenerate into him, a monster.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How did you get out of the TARDIS?" asked Nine as he carried Sara back. She was leaning against his shoulder to keep her head up. She didn't answer him at first. She was furious with him for locking her in, and for knocking her out. And now, he was taking her back. She was too weak to walk. She couldn't even wiggle out of his arms.

"Got nothin' to say?" Nine tried.

"You knocked me out," accused Sara.

"Had to," explained Nine. "Sorry."

"You're just like him."

Nine grimaced. Maybe he was. He'd only done what he thought he had to. "Sorry," he offered again. "You seem to be doin' better though."

"Better!" she was obviously upset.

_Yup. She's better_, thought Nine. Boy she could argue. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"You think this is funny!"

"Sorta, yeah," admitted Nine.

Sara screamed a groan in frustration. She tried to kick her feet, forcing Nine to readjust his hold. _It's like tryin' to carry a fussy toddler_, he thought. _Just relax, and get her back to the TARDIS, _he told himself_._

"I've been kidnapped by aliens, threatened, imprisoned..." Sara began to list all the trials she'd recently had to endure. "...and then you trapped me in your TARDIS!" she finished.

"Power on the TARDIS is draining. Without power the doors won't lock. Couldn't leave it open for anyone to just walk in. She may be dyin', but in the wrong hands, could still cause a bit of trouble. Knocked you out to keep you from becomin' a vegetable. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life stuck in your head. As far as what you suffered at my doubles hands, he'll be havin' to answer for that soon enough. And I'm sorry about losing your world." His frown deepened with complete understanding. He knew what kind of grief Sara had been suffering through. Not only had he been mourning his world for some time, but now he was grieving for his dimension too. In so many ways he understood her. He understood Sara.

Sara became very quiet, leaning into the Doctor's shoulder. "I'm sorry about your TARDIS," she offered. "I know how much she means to you." The Doctor pressed his lips together, trying to hold back the emotions threatening to overtake him. But when Sara looked up at him, she saw tears in his eyes. His best friend, the one who had been there every step of the way since he'd left Gallifrey, the one he could always trust, was slowly dying. Without the proper reality to sustain her energy needs, she was starving to death. And the Doctor knew he couldn't keep her alive by continuing to feed her his own life. Her hours were numbered.

He glanced down at his human, and forced a smile. With all Sara had been through, it was to her credit she'd been able to recognize he was suffering too.

"You know the other Doctor has this... this thing. It made it so his TARDIS had power in the other dimension. Maybe..."

"Nope. Won't work. Would have had to build it before we came here. Works like a battery. Even that wouldn't last. It'd be just temporary. Good thinking, though. Well done."

They finally reached the TARDIS, and Nine pushed open the doors without even using a key. Minimal lights came on as they walked down the corridor, and finally into the med bay. When he laid Sara on one of the beds, the monitor instantly turned on. The Doctor looked at the screen, puzzled.

"What is it?" asked Sara.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Nothin'," he answered. "Nothin's wrong. No bodily damage. No cognitive congestion." He glanced between Sara and the monitor before letting his eyes stay on hers. "You're completely normal. Even all that energy my other self found hanging on your cells is missin'."

"But how w..."

"Hold on." Nine stepped forward towards the monitor, studying the result of Sara's scans with increased interest. He raised his eyebrows as if he was asking himself a question. "Energy **was **gone," he stated. Understanding took hold. He looked down at his patient, unable to hide the look of horror on his face. "You're... You're creating it," he diagnosed. "Creating it?"

"Your own body is creating at least three different energies with conflicting wavelengths. Shouldn't even be possible. And not just because you're human. The wavelengths themselves should have..." Nine took a step back away from Sara. He was quiet for a moment, wondering how much he should tell her, how much a human could even begin to understand. Sara had been through so much. She couldn't even handle the idea of being time sensitive. How could she ever handle this? No. He needed to keep this simple. He needed to be careful with her, not put any unnecessary stress on her. She needed to feel as safe as possible with him. This information could wait.

"The wavelengths could what?" asked Sara.

_She could pull a person out of time_, thought Nine. _She could erase a person from ever having existed_. A chill ran through the Doctor. Why was all her energy gone? What had she done? _Oh, this wasn't good_. He didn't even have enough energy left in the TARDIS to check if she'd caused a paradox, let alone fix one. The Doctor pushed aside his fears. Better to focus on what he could do, instead of what he couldn't.

"Figured out that energy your body's making is probably what's connecting you to the vortex," explained the Doctor, sidestepping her question. "Probably what's making you time sensitive," he added.

"I'm not time sens..."

"Alright," he conceded, not wanting to make her angry. "So you said." He smiled at her. "Just have to agree to disagree for now."

The answer frustrated Sara to no end. It wasn't in her nature to give in to someone's misconceptions. And it was irritating for no one to believe her.

"You all right?" asked Rose, stepping into the room glancing at Sara.

"She'll be fine," Nine answered for her. "Just need some rest. Food wouldn't hurt either." He moved towards a cupboard, and pulled down a box, setting it on Sara's lap. "Here we are then. Candy. Eat up."

Sara grimaced, looking at the candy he put in front of her. Honestly, did no one care about cavities or nutrition anymore? The mere thought of food made her stomach turn unpleasantly.

"How can you be so calm with the Master out there?" she asked, changing topics.

"Who's the Master?" asked Rose, stepping into the room. She'd been feeling more and more out of the loop lately, and was determined to catch up.

"He's a Time Lord," answered the Doctor. "Bit of a troublemaker, but nothing the other Doctor can't handle."

Rose's face lit up. "Then you're not the last one."

"Apparently not." The Doctor smiled.

"Maybe there are others in this dimension," she continued

"There aren't," said Sara. The Doctor had been about to say the same thing. He could only sense his other self and the Master. If there had been others, he would have sensed them. Still, two Time Lords was better than none. At least some of the emptiness he felt at the loss of Gallifrey was filled.

"At least not yet," added Sara, referring to how many Time Lords were in this dimension.

"How do you mean, not yet?" asked Rose. Sara took a breath to answer, but the Doctor cut her off.

"No telling the future, Sara. It's one of my rules. You can't tell anyone the future."

"But this is so close," she tried.

"No."

"It won't cause a paradox."

"You don't know that." The Doctor's voice was firm.

"Gallifrey is returning," Sara spat it out before the Doctor could stop her. She knew the dangers of causing a paradox. She knew sharing what she knew about the Doctors future could cause one. But she also knew her presence here had changed events before. She knew if her presence changed the events that were about to occur in favor of Gallifrey, all reality would be destroyed. She had to give the Doctor the best chance at saving this universe. She wouldn't be responsible for its destruction. Besides, she wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't share too much.

"Gallifrey?!" The shock on the Doctor's face showed his fear.

"The Master is going to try to break the time lock," explained Sara. The Doctor's eyes went wide, and he ran out of the room.

"Wait!" Rose ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"Got to find the other Doctor," he called back. "Make sure Sara eats," he ordered.

Rose stopped running, and scrunched her lips together. She was feeling more and more like a maid or nurse or servant or something. No one explained anything. Everyone else was alien or time sensitive or just seemed to know what was going on. And she was left behind to do all the... the... the domestic stuff. _Ugh_. She sighed. So much for running with the Doctor. He hadn't said hardly two words to her since they'd landed unless he was giving her an order or answering her question. Even his answers were shorter than normal. Usually, he regaled her with stories and examples and tons of alien technical jargon. Now, he simply got to the point, and moved on. Rose began to wonder if maybe she'd done something wrong, if maybe, now that the TARDIS was full of time sensitive companions, and there were Time Lords here, he really didn't want or need her anymore. She frowned at the idea, and swallowed. She was only human, a shop girl. What did he ever really need her for anyway? Would he just leave her here on her own after Lilly was back? Rose took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

_Stop it, _she told herself. _You don't know that. And there's no use borrowing trouble. _She made her way back towards the medical bay, walking a little slower, shoulders slumped a little lower, and looking at the ground. Honestly, she was still exhausted. She had hardly slept two hours. But Sara needed help, so that's what she'd do. She'd help.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lilly awoke to the sound of buzzing coming from her side. She blinked her eyes open to see Ten hunched over her, working. He had two thin metal devices, one in each hand, like a dentist's tools. He was wearing some funky attachments on the front of his glasses, which looked like some kind of magnifying devices. And there were streams of blue light coming from the dentist tools he was using.

Lilly looked down at herself, and was surprised to find her top was gone. It was sitting on the table behind Ten, covered in blood. The top half of her body was covered by only a thin sheet, leaving her injured shoulder completely exposed for the Doctor to work on.

"Try not to move," said the Doctor. He was working so intently on mending her, he hadn't even seemed aware she was awake. "This shouldn't take too much longer."

Lilly looked down at the cavity where her shoulder used to be, and was amazed at what she saw. Tiny strand of tissue would reach out from one side of her would to grab the other, quickly weaving themselves over top of each other forming a layer of tissue. When that layer was complete, the Doctor would move on to the next. Layer by layer, he was weaving her back together.

"It's like crochet," she said in wonder.

Ten smiled to himself. "Suppose it is." He glanced at her. "You're not in pain. Are you?"

"No." Lilly went to shake her head, finding she could hardly move it.

"Hold still," the Doctor ordered, his attention back on what he was doing.

"I can't move my head."

"That's the stasis field. It's best if you don't fight it. I can't have you wiggling while I work."

"Oh." Lilly looked up at the ceiling, and tried to relax. She remembered Sara telling her about the stasis field, and wondered if he'd be keeping her there. "Where are we?" she asked.

"In the time vortex." The Doctor didn't even look up.

"What about the Master?" she asked.

"He'll have to wait." He glanced at Lilly. "What were you thinking? Telling him all that?"

"I thought..." She frowned. "Red grass and childhood memories would be safe. I didn't want him to eat me." The Doctor didn't say anything, and Lilly looked down to see the last layer of skin closing up. Her shoulder looked as good as new. "Why didn't you use the mending bed," she asked.

"Different dimension, different technology." The Doctor removed his glasses, and looked seriously at Lilly. "You ran," he stated, giving her a look.

"You... you scared me," she offered.

He nodded in understanding. Of course she was scared. The Doctor reached for a warm wet flannel, and washed the blood off Lilly's shoulder. She still couldn't move.

"Can you take off the stasis field n...?"

"No."

Lilly felt a stab of fear.

"It has to remain on until the bones are set," continued the Doctor. He gave her hand a squeeze. "But don't worry. I won't leave you." He smiled softly, and she relaxed.

"So," began the Doctor. "The end of time. Want to tell me what that's all about?"

"You... you actually want me to tell you the future?" She eyed him suspiciously. The other Doctor was always getting after her for letting future details slip. Why would this one be so different? Was it a trick? Was he trying to see how powerful she was? The Face of Boe warned her not to let the Doctor know how much she knew. He warned her if the Doctor thought she knew too much, he would think she was too dangerous, and he would destroy her. But that was in the other dimension. It was a warning for a different Doctor. Did the same rules still apply? This Doctor was so much darker than Nine. He wasn't as forgiving or patient. He'd given her one rule, and one chance not to break it. How many chances had Nine given her with his rules? What should she do? What should she say?

"I think the end of time warrants breaking a few rules. Don't you?"

Lilly hesitated. "Sara said you tried to break a fixed point." She frowned. Knowing she was pinned to his table, the last thing she wanted was to make him angry. "Please don't get mad. I... I'm not trying to upset you. I just need to understand." She forced a smile. "Only human you know." Even though she'd forgiven what he'd said and done before, didn't mean she trusted him yet. For all she knew, he could still be the Time Lord Victorious. He could have just been manipulating her.

Ten sighed. He ran his hands back and forth in his hair, leaving it a mess. He pressed his lips together, and nodded. "I did," he admitted. "I tried to break a fixed point. And... and Sara helped stop me. She was right." He closed his eyes. "She was completely right." He looked at Lilly. "But this isn't a fixed point we're talking about. Lilly, this is the end of time. The things you said. Everyone, everywhere, everywhen. I need to know."

Lilly licked her lips. She blew out a breath and looked at the ceiling. "The Master's going to use the immortality gate. It's this giant piece of alien tech this rich black guy has. I'm sorry, I don't remember his name. But the Master is going to use it to break the timelock." She looked at the Doctor. His face was terror stricken. "Gallifrey's coming back."

With eyes wide the Doctor dashed out of the room, only to come back in a moment later. He looked at Lilly and pensively began pacing. "I... I said I'd stay with you, so..."

"It's Ok," said Lilly. "Go ahead." The Doctor looked at her in surprise.

"Just don't forget about me. Ok? I don't want to be stuck down here." Lilly's voice sounded watery.

"You sure?" asked the Doctor.

"Yeah," she answered. "The universe is more important than one hu..."

"No," he cut her off. "No, it's not," countered the Doctor. "Every life...Every life is just as important as the universe." He swallowed. "Suppose that's something I forgot." He whipped out his sonic, and did something to the stasis controls. "I'm setting this on a timer," he explained. "When the bones are set, it'll automatically let you go." He looked at her seriously. "Take it easy when you get up. If I'm not on board, please... please don't leave the TARDIS. I'm asking you, Lilly. It's not an order. But I'm asking you. Please don't leave the TARDIS."

"Ok." Lilly was shocked. What had happened to him? What had changed him so completely?

"Thank you." He gave her hand a quick squeeze, turned, and ran out of the room. He had to find the other Doctor. He might need his help. And after this was over, he had a few questions for Sara. The Doctor ran a hand over his wrist as he ran. He knew there had been an electrical burn there. But now, there wasn't even a sign.

A moment after he ran into the console room, he began flipping levers and spinning dials. He was leaving the safety of the time vortex while carefully setting his coordinates to appear near to his counterparts TARDIS. He knew with Nine's rapidly dying power supply, he needed to ensure Sara and Lilly's safety on Nine's TARDIS before they both left to confront the Master on his. Since Nine's TARDIS was running on decreased power, there would likely be very little signature so the girl's safety would be assured. He just needed to inform his counterpart.

Sara had mentioned the name to him of Naismith, which she seemed to have interpreted from their telepathic connection during the Ood visions. Lilly had confirmed by description and once both him and his counterpart had arrived at the Naismith mansion, they could countermand the Master together. Two Time Lords were better then one as far as he was concerned.

He raced outside his TARDIS in the direction of his counterpart's vehicle only to be caught by momentary surprise as they nearly slammed into one another.

"Where's Lilly?" Nine asked immediately, appraising Ten with caution.

"She'll be fine. Recovering in my sickbay but got to her just in time." Ten had difficulty keeping the strain out of his voice. "Sara? Is she…?"

" 'Bout the same." Nine seemed to have a puzzled expression as Ten raised an eyebrow. "Energy wavelengths have substantially decreased but she's-"

"They're self replicating." Ten checked his memory. He was certain he had explained the general particulars of Sara's energy to his counterpart but something caught his attention. "You said a decrease?"

"Monumental decrease to her cells. All the energy vanished but she's just creating more." Nine's brow's furrowed in concern. "Could have gone anywhere, ripped a person right out of existence or-"

Ten took a rapid intake of air as he calculated the variables. "Saved my life." He muttered.

" 'Scuse me?" _Saved his life? But how…_Nine froze thinking of the sudden energy depletion. If Sara had done what he thought, they needed to talk with her. _Carefully. _He reminded himself. _Don't want to scare her._

Ten shook his head. "I need to get Lilly onboard your TARDIS and deadlock them in there. Use mine to get to the Master." He stared at Nine. "You know I'm right." He gestured in the direction of Nine's TARDIS. "We need the two of us together on this."

Nine nodded at his counterpart. "Was thinkin the same." He couldn't hide the grief inside his voice since his own TARDIS was dying and he was simply prolonging the inevitable. Her presence had been a vast part of him for centuries and now that she was the surviving remnant of his dimension, it was one of the few things he had left.

"I'm sorry." Ten offered. All of his equipment ran off of energy within his own universe but he knew he was responsible for Nine's predicament yet there was nothing he could do without a compatible energy source.

They headed back in the direction of Ten's TARDIS, entering the console room and Ten examined his counterpart with a stab of contrition. "I think I should mention. Lilly doesn't know you all survived."

Nine paused to examine Ten closely who looked properly grief stricken. "She just woke up after taking a bullet to her shoulder and I have her in the stasis field…"

"Stasis field?" Nine asked knowing that Sara mentioned the device for which Ten used to keep her restrained. "How long you plannin' on keeping Lilly tied to her bed? 'Bout the same time as you did Sara?"

Ten shook his head mutely, looking horrified. "I wouldn't do that again." He reflected on the time he had activated the field while coldly telling Sara he couldn't watch her twenty four hours a day and then turned his back as she screamed. _I'm sorry! I didn't mean to run. I was just so scared! _Her cries would haunt him now for as long as he existed and he swallowed in distaste as he looked at Nine. "It was only until her bones mended. Not long. She might be done now."

Ten walked into the sickbay examining the readings above Lilly's bed carefully as he started to press a series of buttons on the console. "Doctor?" Lilly asked. "What about the Master? I thought you were-"

"There's someone who wants to see you first." Ten said, lowering the stasis field, assisting Lilly to her feet. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"What do you-?" She started and then she felt her heart nearly stop as Nine came through the door.

Pressing her hand to her mouth, she closed her eyes for fear she was dreaming and he would be certain to disappear leaving her all alone once more. _Ten said he was gone, everyone was gone and-_

"Lilly." He said in that same soothing tone she had grown to adore and associate with the friend and hero she remembered. Tears came to her eyes as she clutched the sheet to her chest, staring at him for only a moment until she managed to stagger in his direction and he swept her up into his arms in a comforting embrace while she wept in joy at his survival. For the relief she was no longer alone but her Doctor was here, holding her tightly. He had risked everything to come for her and he wasn't dead but right here hugging her in return. The nightmare she had been living in started to dissipate.

Tears were in his eyes to see Lilly alive and in one piece. For the first time, his counterpart had kept his word and returned his ward safely back to him. _Maybe there is still hope for him. _After all he did, the man still had much to answer for but he was still a Time Lord and that made them nearly the only ones left.

"I thought you were gone." Lilly said, her voice shaking. "Is Rose and Sara ok? I saw the Valeyard and Sara…" She shuddered uncertain whether Sara survived.

"Nothin' I couldn't fix." Nine smiled as he stroked Lilly's hair. "Rose is fine too. Need you back though." He winced. "Keep forgettin' how much you humans need to sleep." He knew Rose must be exhausted and had barely slept since their arrival to this dimension.

"I have neural dampeners." Ten offered as Nine looked at him incredulously. "Takes out the guesswork."

"You programmed your ward to sleep?" Nine looked at him doubtfully remembering Sara's reaction to being knocked out. _No wonder._

"She wouldn't on her own!" Ten said defensively.

Nine winced remembering the comparison Sara made only earlier. He could see Ten still had a road ahead of him but still that argument would have to wait.

"We need to get Lilly back to my TARDIS." He frowned seeing that she was still clutching the sheet up to her chest, removed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Ten nodded as they headed to the console area, picking up a grey metal container and followed Lilly and Nine out the door.

"What is that for?" Lilly asked him tentatively.

"Chronoplasmic fusion source created by inorganic polymers." He said without thinking and then met her gaze as she looked at him with confusion. "Back up light source." He rectified quickly.

"Oh," She said. "Like a flashlight?"

He smiled, distantly reminded of what it was like having a companion with him that wasn't forced to be at his side. "Yup. Pretty much."

They entered Nine's TARDIS and Lilly rushed into the medbay to embrace Rose and Sara as the Doctor's strode in behind them.

As the Doctors entered behind Lilly, Sara clung to her in desperation looking at Nine and Ten nervously. "You have to tell them I'm not time sensitive." She implored Lilly. "Please! Tell him I'm not!"

_Oh no. _Lilly thought as she turned to Nine swallowing hard. She didn't have the opportunity to warn her new friend about the circumstances, something she truly meant to do once she had been assured Sara remained permanently onboard but now knowing that her friends survived, it was only a matter of time before Nine confronted her regarding her status.

She should of done a better job to warn her earlier and she knew Nine wouldn't wait long to 'help her come to terms' with her condition.

"It couldn't wait until I was here?" She asked Nine carefully, glancing back at Sara.

"Needed her to help find you." Nine looked at Ten. "Both agreed there was a link in the way the two of your time sensitivities work so-"

"I'm not time sensitive!" Sara shouted at them.

Nine shook his head, glaring accusingly at Ten who never attempted to dispel her fantasy while Ten only looked at Sara with regret in his eyes.

For Lilly, this was all too familiar as she turned to Sara wearily knowing full well this argument was a futile endeavor. She would never convince either Time Lord that she wasn't time sensitive and God knows how much Lilly had tried. It placed her in danger of having the Final Action performed and she couldn't let Sara make the same mistake.

She gripped Sara's hands, looking into her eyes hoping they could convey a message she couldn't say because with their hearing, no matter if she whispered, they would know it. "We'll talk. I promise. I'll explain it." Lilly said desperately hoping that Sara would see the same struggle in her eyes that she had with this very issue and finally the other girl nodded. "Fine." She said before looking at Nine. "But I'm not going to lie." She didn't even know how to pretend to be something she wasn't and if he was going to force her to deceive him at every turn, she wasn't sure how she could live with herself.

"Wouldn't ask you too." Said Nine. "Lilly and I have a deal." He explained. "Could make the same one with you."

"What kind of deal?" Sara was wary of negotiation having seen them in practice far too often as a way of manipulating others.

"We tell each other the truth unless there is a life at stake or to prevent a paradox." Lilly explained.

_Tell him the truth? It can't be that simple. _Sara thought.

"I-I'll think about it." Sara replied shakily. She needed to talk to Lilly alone without fear of being overheard before she made any final decision.

"Thank you, Sara." Nine said. He felt a bit relieved. They were starting to make headway with her and if Lilly could give Sara reassurance, after a time, Sara wouldn't need to cling onto the delusion of the TV show so desperately. She didn't appear to be in danger of regressing into her catatonic state at the moment and when she broached the subject, she only appeared angry and resentful. For him it was an altogether healthy human reaction especially after what she had endured. For now, he would go slowly and remind her of the rules as he did with Lilly and Sara would adjust.

"There's somethin' else we need to talk 'bout, with you." Nine glanced at Ten before looking at Sara seriously.

"Wh-What?" She looked at them both. "What did I do wrong? I swear I don't know about the lock. I think it was already broken!"

_That's not possible. _Nine thought. Ten looked at him. "What kind of lock did you use?"

"Dynamorphic."

Ten frowned briefly but the lock was the least of his concerns at the moment. "You didn't do anything wrong, Sara." Injecting a soft tone into his voice as she glanced at him startled. "Do you remember leaving his TARDIS and seeing me?"

She grimaced. "Yes, I wanted to find Lilly so she could tell me…" Her voice trailed off. _Tell me I'm not crazy. That I'm not time sensitive. _

"Tell you what?" Nine asked gently.

"That I wasn't alone." Sara finally finished. It wasn't a lie at least. "I wanted to help find her." She looked at Lilly who smiled back at her.

"And then you found me." Ten clarified.

Sara winced at the memory. He looked nearly dead to her and she shuddered at the memory. "Yes." She swallowed. "I thought you were dying."

A meaningful glance was exchanged between Nine and Ten.

"And what then?" Nine prodded.

"I-" Sara paused as she remembered his rules about not telling the future. She didn't know how to explain what happened. "I tried to wake him. I told him it wasn't his time." She said simply for which Nine nodded. "When I couldn't, I knew it was my fault." She muttered. "I came here, interfered and all this happened. I heard him in my mind apologizing to me like a part of him was still there."

_She still thinks it's her fault after all that I've done. _Ten thought looking at Sara wishing more then ever he could remedy that burden she carried. "Do you know what happened next?"

"I told you I was sorry too." She murmured. "Then I got dizzy and there was all this light…" She paused in confusion. "Was that you?" She asked Ten.

He didn't know how to answer her but he was gripped with the realization of what she had done. Healing a Time Lord so close to death was no small feat, no wonder her cells were depleted and she could barely move. Somehow, she had transferred and used her entire resources of energy particles to restore him to life and it seemed to have occurred out of a moment of pure empathy.

He looked to Nine who seemed amazed at what had indeed transpired. Indeed he was thankful Sara hadn't accidentally eradicated someone's existence but he contemplated the worse case scenario when it came to the energy wavelengths she produced and for her to heal the Time Lord who had perpetrated her abuse was a staggering concept for Nine. _Doesn't even know what she did._ He blinked back tears knowing he made the right choice to protect his newest companion who despite her stubbornness and temper displayed remarkable consideration. _She's not just a weapon, she's- _he didn't fully know all that she was but he knew they would better protect the universe by conserving her life along with Lilly and Rose.

_Forget their potential sometimes. _Nine had made so many sacrifices during the war, got so much blood on his hands that after he made a pledge of 'no more'. When he was forced to destroy Gallifrey, he promised to stand up to greed, manipulation and to curtail suffering. He remembered how close he came to initiating the final action against Lilly who was terrified but willing to endure it to see him complete his destiny. He remembered the gratitude that poured through him when he realized that he misunderstood and Lilly, although a mystery was not deserving of such brutality and worthy of his protection.

Nine could easily find Ten's actions contemptible and wouldn't blame Sara for feeling the same but instead of allowing him to die, she invoked empathy and had saved his life. The very life of a man she had considered to be an enemy and suddenly, he had to blink away tears as he turned towards Lilly who gave him a look of concern offering her hand to him.

Finally regaining control of himself, he turned to Sara. "I'm sorry." He said.

"What for?" Sara asked. Then quickly she remembered. "Oh, putting me to sleep." She frowned. "Just please don't do it again."

He started to laugh, shaking his head. "Will do the best I can."

Ten couldn't help himself and reached out taking both Sara's hands in his. She glanced at him startled. "Thank you."

He seemed so different now, like the Doctor she remembered from the show, the good person she remembered he once was but she still wasn't sure what he was thanking her for. She nearly pulled her hands out of his grasp but maybe he needed this to do what he could, to defeat the Master and turn himself completely away from the Time Lord Victorious. Eleven told her he had remembered every word she said regardless but she wasn't quite sure why he was so grateful to her. _Maybe for trying to wake him?_

"You're welcome, I guess. Sorry I couldn't get you up." She muttered. "I tried but at least that thing you did helped."

Ten smiled warmly at her. _That thing you did all on your own. _He could now fathom the possibilities of what she could do if she was trained to use such an ability. Maybe that was part of his new purpose, with Nine to train both girls to see the fruition of their gifts. It would give him something to focus on at least for the future.

But that would have to wait. They had confirmed what they suspected and Sara indeed had not unleashed her energy to cause harm on anyone.

"We have a Master to deal with." Ten explained. "We need you three to stay in here and we will be locking the door from the outside for all of your safety." He emphasized.

"Yes, and Sara, no runnin' this time." Nine said. "I mean it."

"I was just trying to find-"

"Promise me that you'll all stay inside."

Sara grimaced. "Fine, I promise. Happy now?"

"Immensely." Nine said, giving Sara a sudden embrace, kissing the top of her head.

"What was that for?"

"Provin' me wrong. For reminding me what being human is."

Sara shook her head. "Don't need me for that. That's what Rose is for." She knew how important Rose was to this Doctor even if his dimension no longer existed. He still needed her even if he didn't realize that quite yet. Sara had to remind Rose of that as well. It couldn't be easy for her and now they were in the same position of both having lost their dimension. _Rose doesn't know yet. _She reminded herself.

"I know." He said, smiling at the blond. "But every reminder I get is a good one."

They all started to sweep out of the medbay leaving Ten and Sara alone for the first time in several days. He could only look at her with shame in his eyes, feeling a certain measure of self-disgust. "Sara, I really am so sorry. I know there's nothing I can do that will make it right but-" He swallowed hard. "I'll do the best I can."

She gazed at him feeling a tear starting to trickle down her cheek. She wanted to believe him and indeed this was what she had been fighting for all those times he locked her up or took away her choices. "I-" She took a deep breath. "Okay." She nodded. "It's j-just going to take me a while." Sara had spent so much time trying to escape this man, this Time Lord, what would she do when she didn't have to run?

"Why didn't you want me to die?" He asked.

"There's still so much you have to do. Others you need to meet." She thought briefly on Amy, Rory, River and Clara. "I'm not a killer." She returned. "I never wanted you to die." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have been here and then you, well you would have been fine. It was my fault." She said bitterly. "My mistake. I'm sorry."

"For what?" Ten asked. "For existing? For what I did to you? No, you don't get to apologize for that. I should have been better. You were my responsibility and I should have listened, should have helped you." Emotions pulsed through him as he realized she was still held herself accountable for his actions but in time he would fix this and maybe she would see the truth. Ten released her hands making ready to leave the medbay.

"Wait," Sara called out, still too weak to move from the infirmary bed. "Your name, do you want it back? I won't resist. I didn't want it in the first place and Nine said he wouldn't remove it."

"And I won't either," Ten replied.

"Why?"

"Because I know you're not a thief."

With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Sara alone with her thoughts.

Xxxxxxxxx

"She doesn't know." Ten said in Gallifreyian.

"Might be best until after the Master." Said Nine switching to his native tongue. "Couldn't cope yet with being time sensitive." He looked at Ten pointedly.

"Sorry. She just lost her entire dimension. Didn't know how to tell her." Ten said. "I started to but I couldn't."

"Askin' her what roles your actor played only cements the fantasy in her mind." Nine advised.

"I didn't think it would be that elaborate for her. I-"

"She nearly went back into her own mind again." Nine told him.

"What?!" Ten looked worriedly at the medbay. "Maybe I should-"

"No," Nine said. "Not now. Have the Master to deal with. Lilly will talk will Sara. No more lyin' to her 'bout this." He sighed. "Will have to teach her to control her energy too, find its triggers."

"I've studied her energy patterns longer and I-"

"Told her she was a weapon." Nine grimaced. "She could be. Also could be something else instead."

"She's not just a weapon." Ten said fervently.

Nine raised his eyebrows. "Quite a turnabout for you."

"I want to help."

"Have to see what she wants. Still traumatized. Amazed she did that for you after-"

"I didn't deserve it but she did it anyway." Ten had difficulty even conceiving what Sara had given him. Shaking his head, he changed the subject. "Need to stop by, pick up an old friend first. He's part of the prophecy." Ten said, referring to Wilfred.

They proceeded out to the console room and Ten set up the Chronoplasmic fusion device as Nine welded together a new lock for the door. Lilly went into the wardrobe room, exchanging Nine's jacket for a new top and met Rose and the two Doctors in the console room, returning the garment back to Nine.

"You three understand, no sneaking out. You stay inside the TARDIS until we get back." Nine said firmly.

Lilly nodded. "I know."

Ten couldn't help but stare at Rose. "You look like you could use some sleep." He told her quietly.

Rose was caught of guard, looking at him suspiciously. " 'S been a long couple a days."

Nine looked at her feeling a bit guilty. "No, he's right. Get some rest. Lilly's here. Knows how to stay put when told. She'll make sure Sara does too." He smiled at Rose. "Go to bed."

Rose nodded; too exhausted to argue feeling the strain of the last few days catch up with her. She was happy Lilly was back so their trip had not been in vain, her friend wasn't dead and in all honesty it was difficult to contend with another time sensitive aboard. It wasn't Sara's fault; Rose knew that. She had been lied to for weeks but since they had arrived in this new dimension, their work had been cut out for them and she had been relegated to a nurse and a guard. With Lilly back, maybe that was finally over.

"Good luck." Rose offered to Nine before returning to her bedroom as Ten watched her wistfully.

"Don't even think 'bout it." Nine said to Ten who shook his head in response.

"Eh, she's not my Rose but she's still Rose. It's hard not too." Ten replied.

Nine turned to Lilly, stepping up to her. He had just got her back but now he had to leave once more. Embracing his companion, he told her, "Remember what I said. No leavin' the TARDIS. Either of you."

Lilly looked at them both. "Okay. Promise."

"You'll talk to Sara?"

"Yes." Lilly said slowly. She would talk to Sara all right if only to reassure her she wasn't alone in this difficulty. That is was just as hard for Lilly as it was for Sara. She remembered what Nine had initially advised her.

'_Pretend you've not seen it on the…T.V. Pretend I'm right. Because, if I'm right, and I usually am, it could stop you from going insane.'_

Lilly had known he was wrong at the time and still now but she didn't have the heart to refuse him. She decided to agree.

'_Al…alright. I can do that. But I'm just pretending, so it's not a lie.'_

"Good." Relief coursed through him. "Thank you Lilly." He frowned. "Tell Rose, sorry when she wakes. Last couple days haven't been fun for her, I know."

With that, he released her, and left the TARDIS and Lilly heard the lock outside slide into place. She turned to head to the medbay knowing this conversation with Sara would not be an easy one.

Lilly walked inside as Sara stared disdainfully at a candy bar. "He actually expects me to eat these?"

"They do have a sweet tooth." Lilly replied, remembering how the third Doctor used at least four spoons of sugar in his tea especially during the 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs' episode.

"Yeah, Ten insisted on buying all these Cadberry chocolate Easter eggs before getting on the bus where I met Christina…" Sara's voice trailed off.

"During 'Planet of the Dead'? Lilly asked. "That's right. Ten took Christina along as his companion with you." She frowned. In the TV show, he outright refused to have another passenger saying he lost too much and quickly expressed 'never again'.

"I still have her the cup she robbed from the museum." Sara whispered. "Well I did. It's in my room on Ten's TARDIS."

"I'm sure he'll give it back to you when he returns." Lilly offered. Ten seemed to have changed so there might be a good chance he would return this object that offered Sara such sentimental value. She remembered Sara explaining how Christina had died on Mars right in front of her and Lilly knew Sara must have blamed herself for the incident.

"You think so?" Sara asked. Ten certainly appeared changed to her but it helped if Lilly was able to concur on this matter.

Lilly smiled. "He's definitely different. So yes, I think so." She shrugged. "He told me you were right about Mars. Absolutely right. Direct quote."

Sara was silent. Maybe the Time Lord Victorious was starting to disappear but what did that mean for her? They were left in a dying TARDIS and both their futures remained uncertain.

"Rose doesn't know." Sara told Lilly referring to the loss of Nine's dimension.

"Nine hasn't told her?" Lilly asked, her eyes looked sorrowful.

"You don't know how bad it was to hear when my dimension was obliterated." Sara muttered bleakly. "To tell Rose…" Sara's voice trailed off. "Nine's still grieving himself." She looked at Lilly. "I know our realities weren't the same. Probably parallel, right? Since we both know Dr. Who as a TV show." She clasped her hands together. "Nine told me what Ten said. That our signatures or something don't match."

"I guess that is how it works from what I know about alternate dimensions but they don't believe I came from another one." Lilly explained.

"What?" Sara asked. "Why?"

"No void matter." Lilly sighed. "Nine said I should be soaked with it but I wasn't when he found me."

Sara shook her head. "That's crap." She tested her legs on the bed pleased to see she was regaining her strength. "Could be a lot of reasons for that."

"Right. Just not sure which one it is." Lilly replied.

"That's why he thinks you're time sensitive?" Sara asked, rolling her eyes at the inane concept.

"I told you once that the idea of what we understand is beyond them." Lilly paused. "I was hoping he wouldn't find out about you. Not until-"

"Too late." Sara said flatly.

"What did he say?" Lilly asked.

"That I was traumatized and the TV show was my minds way of coping with time sensitivity rather then accepting the truth." Sara gave a heavy sigh. "I told him it wasn't, repeatedly. Tried to tell him I remembered all seven seasons, all the actors but he didn't believe me. Called it a fantasy." She gritted her teeth in frustration.

"He told me the same thing." Lilly said.

"And you let him?" Sara asked. "Why didn't you try to leave? Go and find Jack? You mentioned him before. Wouldn't he have helped you?"

"He did help me and he did believe me but he also gave me a warning." Lilly felt horrible for doing this after all Sara had endured but she had to know before Sara let slip anything worse.

"A warning?" Sara asked.

"It was a TV show for us. What we've seen on Doctor Who was a dumbed down, edited children's show made that way so all families could watch it."

"But it's real here." Sara countered, remembering all the horrific things she had seen that were definitely not the product of cheesy special effects.

"Exactly, not edited, not made for families. Now, this is reality and we're stuck here."

"But if Jack knows, why couldn't he just tell the Doctor that…?"

"That universe is gone. Our paths didn't cross. I haven't seen Jack since Platform One." Lilly looked saddened.

"I'm sorry." Sara murmured.

"Me too," Lilly said as she glanced at Sara. "But we still have each other." Lilly gestured to the door for which the Doctor's just departed. "I wasn't lying to you when I said my Doctor is good. He is, I know it but if you keep insisting that you're not time sensitive and that all your information came from a TV show, he'll be really worried." Lilly thought worried sounded better then telling Sara that the Doctor would consider her very dangerous.

"Worried?" Sara repeated.

"No matter how many times you tell them it's from a TV show, they won't believe it. Trust me I know. If the Doctor thinks you can't handle it, he'll think you're unstable." Lilly told her cautiously. "Maybe insane. If that happens, he could confine you until he thinks you're safe again."

Sara let out a gasp, shaking her head. "Is that what he threatened you with?" She struggled to get off the bed as Lilly took her hand. "I was already imprisoned in my room for weeks. When Ten got you, I got lost inside my own head." Sara started to panic. "What if I'm already insane?"

"You're not." _Lost inside her own head? _Lilly took a deep breath. At least after all that Sara had been through, Nine was trying to give Sara time to adjust to the idea. "Look we both know the truth even if they can't accept it."

"I don't know-my dimension is gone and everything has just disappeared. What if-?"

"Let me show you something." Lilly said, leaving the medbay, returning in haste with her iPod. "Face of Boe said not to show the Doctor but with our extraordinary 'time sight', " Lilly paused to chuckle at the reference when the Doctor had first introduced the concept of time sensitivity to her. "I'm sure, we'll be fine."

She scrolled through her iPod looking for an innocuous episode and decided upon 'Boomtown'. Sara watched the small screen in wonder as the show that had been so adamantly denied as fiction scrolled through the introduction opening in the office in Cardiff where the scientist was bringing his concerns to the mayor about the nuclear power plant being built which had the potential to explode.

"The one with the Slitheen where she gets turned into an egg by the TARDIS." Sara said, feeling tears come to her eyes. She wasn't crazy. The show had been real and no matter what they told her, they couldn't take that from her.

"Do you have any with Eleven?" Sara asked.

Lilly glanced at her startled. "No sorry. Only so much room and Nine was my favorite." She looked at Sara puzzled. "Why him?" Lilly thought that Steven Moffat had been on somewhat shaky ground for seasons five and six. Sara had seemed to agree with her so she was uncertain why she wanted to look at any of those episodes in particular.

"You remember 'In the Name of the Doctor'?" Sara asked and Lilly nodded. She had watched it right before she ended up in the pizzeria. "You remember how time travel was always possible in dreams? Madame Vastra summoned Clara with a soporific."

"Yes, and the Great Intelligence used it as a trap."

"Eleven visited me twice in a dream to help me when I needed it." Sara said.

"That's not a paradox?" Lilly asked, momentarily confused.

"According to him, no since he didn't cross his own time stream. We were both dreaming in our own present timelines." Sara shrugged, shaking her head. "It was confusing to me at first. I thought he was the Valeyard but then…"

"I saw him too." Lilly said remembering his appearance in Ten's medbay.

"Eleven said he was always a possibility." Sara let out a sigh. "I failed and he destroyed the universe. When Ten found out-"

"No wonder." It was falling into place. Ten's sudden change in demeanor and how he was so fervent in rescuing her. "He saved my life. I thought he was dead when the Master blasted him like that but he wasn't." That was a puzzle to Lilly. Ten had certainly appeared to be dying and the Master had bragged about it but Ten appeared minutes later fully healed. Was it something about Time Lord healing she didn't know about? The Doctors were asking Sara about it and it was a confusing conversation. Sara had asked if somehow Ten had healed himself. Lilly thought that was only possible when they regenerated and obtained a new form or there was another Time Lord that used their regenerative energy to heal the other.

The Doctors seemed to exchange knowing glances. Usually it wasn't Sara and Lilly that were left in the dark but she had to admit that Time Lord physiology wasn't her primary expertise. There was a lot left out of the show regarding that particular matter.

Sara gave a diffident shrug and Lilly changed the subject as they glanced down at the episode. The TARDIS had landed on the rift to recharge and it was amazing to see Rose and Nine emerge from the TARDIS just as she remembered when she watched it at home.

"You know the show is real now. You were never crazy or delusional." Lilly assured her. "You don't have to lie, just don't bring it up to them. Believe me, they can't handle it. We can talk about it whenever they're not listening but you can't mention it in front of them."

"Ten even asked me what other roles his actor played." Sara said numbly. "He didn't even tell me."

"But he had rules for you, right?"

"Sort of, I guess." Sara scowled. "I mostly chose not to tell him anything because of what he did to me. I mean, why should I?"

Lilly examined her. "Then how did Mars go wrong?"

"I tried to avoid going at all. I told him I didn't like the color of the planet."

Lilly started to giggle at the arbitrary reference. "The color of the planet? You're not serious?"

"Maybe I should of told him the truth." Sara reflected. "I don't know. I tried when I got there but it was just too late. Like you said, our presence changes things."

"But you didn't slip up at all other times?" Lilly asked.

"A couple times but fortunately, he didn't know what I meant since during the events of 'The Day of the Doctor', timelines were out of sync." Sara explained. "I caught myself."

"Nine is very strict on the rules." Lilly advised her. "He doesn't want to know the future unless there is an immediate threat or someone is about to die." She gazed at Sara. "Please, just around him, lets keep the TV show between ourselves and try to follow that rule."

"I'm not going to pretend to be time sensitive. It's the stupidest thing I ever heard and-"

"I know. I felt the same way. You don't have to."

"But I can't deny it either when he says it." Sara dug her nails into her skin. "That's what you're saying right? If he calls me that, neither confirm nor deny."

Lilly swallowed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She squeezed Sara's hand. "But we're in it together. It annoys me just as much as it does you and I've had to deal with it longer."

Sara looked at her with sudden sympathy pondering how difficult it must have been when the Doctor didn't believe a word Lilly said and insisted she live a form of a lie but she understood for Lilly that this was the price she had to pay for whatever freedom she had to enjoy. Sara knew she would go mad if she was locked up again and though she didn't think Nine was capable, if he truly thought she had been so utterly traumatized, he could take drastic measures to ensure her 'sanity'. The idea alone caused her to shudder of what Time Lords could do to restore someone to their idea of normalcy. _Would he psychically lobotomize me? _Sara thought remembering Donna.

"Wait." Sara looked down at the iPod. "Why can't you just show the Doctors those episodes? They would have to believe us then, right?"

"I can't." Lilly refused adamantly. "The Face of Boe said it would cause a major event that would rip apart the entire universe. One dimension is already gone. I'm not going to risk another."

Disappointment flooded through Sara as she gazed at the only friend who knew too well her frustration at not being believed. She pushed herself off the medbay bed. "Oh." She managed.

"So will you try?" Lilly asked. "Just at least not mention they are TV shows around them?"

"I guess." Sara said reluctantly. At least, she knew the truth. If the Time Lords wanted to persist in living in a delusion, maybe it was up to them. She was seething inside. Nine would call her time sensitive and she be forced to say nothing. Clenching her teeth, she hit the wall with her fist. _Maddening._

Lilly looked at her in surprise and Sara glanced back. "Sorry, just frustrated."

"It gets better after a while."

_Does it? _Sara couldn't be sure.

"Well, I'm beat. I'm going to get some rest. Did Nine give you a room or do you have to sleep in here?" Lilly gestured to the medbay.

"No, he put me in a bed." Sara muttered still upset that he knocked her out. At least he didn't lock her inside the room. The fact that his lock was broken was sheer dumb luck but he seemed to think she had a hand in it.

"See you in the morning." Lilly walked out the door.

Sara later emerged but instead of going to bed, she headed to the console room wanting desperately to think.

She could feel the TARDIS. The presence seemed to cling to the back of her mind and it was very familiar to Sara but she could already feel it fading. She nearly felt the pain of the sentience struggling to stay alive in a universe that wouldn't support her with no hope of returning to the right dimension again. Sara was overwhelmed with empathy for the dying soul inside the TARDIS. Eleven had told her that a sentience much like this one gave its like to keep her alive and Sara wished there was something she could do to help this TARDIS in particular.

She remembered Nine's face and the grief he was facing at the loss of his beloved machine. Sara also remembered the episode when Eleven actually spoke to the presence that inhabited the TARDIS when she gained a humanoid form in Idris. _'You were my thief' _She remembered her telling him.

"I'm really sorry." She said aloud and she felt the warmth of the conscience pass through her. Maybe she understood Sara and didn't think she was just another stray on this TARDIS since all things considered, she was nothing but a stranger to this machine. Sara stood in one position as time flowed by and she felt such familiarity, a connection with the soul that seemed to exceed words.

She felt as though things were said although she didn't recall exactly what communication was exchanged. Fragments of thought transferred and slowly Sara walked up to the console, feeling drowsy. How had she gotten so tired all of a sudden? She didn't even notice that her skin had started to glow.

She placed her hand down on the panel and suddenly the TARDIS became suffused with energy and light. She looked up bewildered. _It's alive again. Did my talking to it somehow help it come back? _She held her hand there and felt a warm feeling go through her and a sense of gratitude that enveloped her, as Sara stood there content as hours ticked by.

Suddenly, there was a rapid banging on the door and startled, Sara lifted her hand. She was overwhelmed with dizziness, her heart rate slowing in her chest as her legs weakened. The lights went dark around her returning the TARDIS to extremely low power and as the door burst open, Sara collapsed on the ground as darkness enfolded her.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The two Time Lords were heading quickly back to Ten's TARDIS as Ten attempted to bring his counterpart up to date on the Master.

"A year that never was? Blimey." Nine said. "Only a few remember?"

"Yes, that's what we're dealing with. We have to get Wilfred and go to the Naismiths mansion."

"Sure 'bout this?" Nine said worriedly. "Risking another human?"

"He's part of the prophecy." Ten explained.

"And Sara wasn't?" Nine asked.

Ten glanced at him. "I'm not risking her." He said fiercely. "Not her, Lilly or Rose. They've been through enough."

"Glad you see it that way." Nine paused. "You gave Sara our name. You know what that means?"

"I do. She's earned it. All this time, she was trying to help save the universe. I didn't listen."

Nine shook his head. "We'll need to talk to her 'bout it. She's human. Doesn't know what you gave her."

"I know that. I intend to when we're finished."

"D'you know she asked me if I could remove the name?" Nine asked. He had been surprised that Ten had offered the name to Sara and the feelings that poured off his counterpart had been profound but Sara didn't know what she had been given. Reading the name in a book was different then being told the name directly by the Time Lord himself.

"You can't." Ten declared. Once he had given Sara his name of his own accord, no Time Lord could not remove it from her memory. "She thought she stole it." There was sadness in his tone when he reflected on Sara just asking the very same question for which he had to provide reassurance.

"Told me she found it by accident in a Gallifreyian book."

"That was her time loop in her mind. Blamed herself for everything I did." Ten told Nine.

"What did you do?"

Ten took a deep breath. "I tried to break a fixed point in time."

Nine stopped in his tracks to glare at his counterpart. "You did what?"

"Had another companion there with us who I lost. Aortic rupture in her heart. Sara was forced to watch her die. Then I dragged her back to the base while she begged me not to break the rules of time. Base was meant to explode so the Flood wouldn't get to earth." Ten explained.

"One human against a Time Lord to save the universe." Nine seemed awestruck.

"She deserves my name." Ten said simply.

"Don't doubt you. Amazed she'd offer to let me erase it." Nine replied. "I trust her with it but she needs tutelage. Accessing the TARDIS databank, the Gallifreyian language, navigation controls, should take this slowly. Her difficulty coping with time sensitivity…"

"We won't rush it but I rather she learn from us then by accident." The last thing Ten wanted was for Sara to accidentally be thinking about his name near the TARDIS mainframe and suddenly be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information that his name freely provided as the equivalency of a password.

"What about Lilly?" Nine asked.

They had approached Ten's TARDIS and made their way into the console room where Ten initiated the dematerialization sequence.

"What about her? I mended her shoulder…"

"Not talking about her shoulder but Lilly has our name. That wasn't given to her." Nine stated.

Ten looked strained. "Sara was scared. She was trying to protect Lilly from me." He grimaced.

"Think you know how dangerous that name is when it isn't freely given."

Ten gave Nine a calculating stare. "And you have no intention on giving it to Lilly."

"Don't fully trust her, being honest." Nine said.

Ten thought back to Lilly who had been so completely terrified of him, he had felt her fear coursing throughout her mind. Just seeing the look on her face when he was forced to penetrate the outskirts of her mind in order to heal what the Master had so bluntly damaged, shook him but he had to save her. Wilfred had given him focus. One person at a time, doing what it takes in those steps to save this universe.

He nearly died and then Sara saved him although she didn't know it. They would have to tell her that as well and for once it would be nice to explain to her that all her energy wasn't just a weapon. All this time he had told her how dangerous she was and what would happen if the wrong people got their hands on her but now? _Still have to be careful with this. _Sara had been catatonic and he certainly didn't want to overwhelm her.

His mind turned back to Lilly who Sara begged him to save. Skittish, little Lilly who extended her hand in forgiveness when he needed it. Why did Nine not trust her?

"What did she do?" Ten asked.

"Had a vortex manipulator hidden on her. Know she used it once."

Ten raised his eyebrows thinking briefly of Jack. "Time agent?" He asked.

"Not enough trips to account for that."

It was puzzling. Ten remembered Lilly mentioning her story started out as a paradox but he didn't precisely know the factors involved that enabled her to resolve it.

"Thought of asking her?"

"Tried. She wouldn't tell me." Nine said.

It was perplexing and might be worthy of investigating later. They had just materialized in front of Wilfred's home.

"Don't know if I can let her keep it." Nine told him.

Ten frowned at him. True he tried to remove it but her mind was delicate and it nearly caused her permanent injury when he pulled out to fast.

"You saying you're going to remove it when we're finished?" He asked incredulously. He remembered Lilly's story about what nearly happened to her with his counterpart on Platform One and he had been shocked.

"Promised her I wouldn't but I thought you have more experience." Nine paused as Ten simply stared at him. " 'S too dangerous for her to have our name. Anyone got their hands on her…"

"You nearly performed the "Final Action on Lilly." Ten said feeling disgusted at the idea of such barbarism. There was a reason that procedure had been outlawed.

"Thought she was using her time sensitivity for profit. Broke five different laws and I-"

"It's illegal." Ten said, raising his voice. "Hallowing out someone's mind is brutality. Lilly is just a child."

"Couldn't go through with it even when I thought I should." Nine turned to Ten. "Drawing a fine line aren't you, then? Telling Sara it shouldn't hurt if she doesn't resist you entering your mind. You say she always resists when you broke in her mind before."

"I never thought of using the Final Action on her." Ten said.

"Good that you know when to stop." Nine said chillingly. "Course I never thought of strapping Lilly down on a bed in the medbay for days. Didn't lock her up in solitary confinement so she would want to die."

"It was a mistake." Ten shouted.

"So was the Final Action which was I couldn't do it." Nine replied readily. "Just ask that you think 'bout it. Our name in Lilly's mind without our consent. 'S dangerous." Nine said. " 'S not the same as the Final Action." Nine raised his brows. "You have more experience."

"Fine." Ten seethed. "I'll ask her and if she agrees, I'll remove it." He couldn't violate Lilly's mind again and having her consent would make the process easier. _I could put her to sleep for the procedure. Defenses would be down. Pain would be less. _"After we're done."

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Wilfred standing right outside. "Doctor, you all right?" He asked. "Did you find Lilly?"

Ten nodded. "Yes, she's fine." He assured Wilfred.

"And Sara?"

"Safe for the moment. You're the last one and involved in this. I know that much. Need to work out how but you're part of the prophecy." Ten explained, opening the door allowing Wilfred inside.

"It's really bigger on the inside then-" He looked at Nine. "Hold on. Who are you?"

"The Doctor." Nine explained.

Wilfred looked at Ten utterly bewildered who was working away at the console. "There are two of you?" He paused. "How did that happen?" Nine looked back at Ten who was setting in coordinates for the Naismith mansion.

"Long story." Both Doctors said at once.

When they rematerialized, Ten panicked looking at the monitor noticing the other humans gripping their heads in severe pain right outside the exterior of the TARDIS and rattled, he glanced at Nine. "Stay here." His hands on the controls carefully examining the monitor. "Don't step out the door."

**A/N: Well, this chapter is a bit long but it was difficult to find a good endpoint. Hope you guys all enjoy. Thank you for the reviews. Please continue doing so because we do get a lot of good ideas from them!**


	7. Bitter Union

When they rematerialized, Ten panicked looking at the monitor noticing the other humans gripping their heads in severe pain right outside the exterior of the TARDIS and rattled, he glanced at Nine. "Stay here." His hands on the controls carefully examining the monitor. "Don't step out the door." Ten flipped a few more switches, making the TARDIS hop through space but not time, landing them in a tight closet.

Nine looked at the monitor. "Nice driving."

Ten inhaled sharply through his nose, put his hands in his pockets, and grinned proudly. He rocked back on his heals. "I do have my moments." Both Doctors checked the monitor.

Wilf's phone started to ring. "Donna?" he answered. Ten looked up. The Time Lords could hear Donna tell Wilf there was something wrong with her mother and Shawn. "What about you?" Wilf asked her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she answered. Just then Wilf got another call, cutting off Donna. Ten quickly returned his attention to the monitor.

"Donna?" asked Nine quietly.

"My best friend," answered Ten. "Best friend I ever had." He frowned, and Nine could feel Ten's grief. He knew something terrible must have happened. "Radiation spike seems to have dissipated," said Ten. He nodded towards their human companion. "Should be safe now," he added.

The three men quickly left the TARDIS. Ten turned back, and using Nine's sonic, sent the TARDIS a second out of sync. "Don't want the Master finding her. That's the last thing we need."

Nine nodded in understanding. "Maybe you should wait here," he said to Wilf. "Not bloody likely."

"Don't swear," ordered Ten as they left the closet in the Naismith mansion. But as soon as they stepped foot out of the closet, they were surrounded with versions of the Master.

"I take it back," said Nine. "You're driving's awful." "Yeaaah," agreed Ten, nodding.

"Ooh, look at you," said one of the Masters to Ten. "I thought I killed you." He looked at Nine. "Or is that what you are. His next regeneration."

"Something like that," answered Nine. "What's the matter?" asked another Master. "Didn't think you could take me on your own?

Thought you had to go back to get help." He tisked. "Breaking the laws of time, Doctor. Not very Doctorly of you, is it."

A few minutes later Wilf was tied to a chair and both Doctors were confined just as Ten had been on the show.

"Do you like it?" asked the Master. Neither Doctor could answer because of their gags. "It's called an immortality gate." Ten recognized the name from what Lilly told him. "It's a medical device. And I've used it to transplant myself into every human on the planet. The Master turned, looking Nine directly in the eyes. "You always did like the human race the most. Now, they're actually something to be proud of. There are enough weapons and soldiers to turn this planet into a war ship." He gloated. "Nothing to say, Doctor."

When the Master began tormenting the Doctor about not being able to speak, Wilf piped up. He may only be an old man, but that didn't mean he would take this lying down.

"Your Dad's still kicking up a fuss," the Master told the Doctors. "Yeah, well, I'd be proud if I was," said Wilf.

The Master had enough. He stalked closer to the human, and using a telepathic command, raised his finger to his lips. "Hush. Now. Listen to your Master." Wilf was stunned. He suddenly found himself unable to speak, and he suddenly found himself very afraid. But before the Master's command cemented itself in Wilf's psyche, his cell phone rang.

"That's a mobile," said the Master in surprise. "Yeah, it's mine. Let me turn it off."

"No, no no no. I don't think you understand," started the Master. "Everybody on the planet is me. And I'm not phoning you, so who the hell is that?" The Master began to frisk Wilf, finding the gun first, and then his cell phone. "Donna. Who's Donna?" he demanded after reading the caller ID.

"She's no one," tried Wilf.

The Master answered the phone, and listened to Donna plead for help. "Who is she? Why didn't she change?"

"It was this thing the Doctor did," Wilf answered. "A Meta-Crisis." "Ohh," said the Master in disgust. "He **loves **playing with Earth girls!"

Nine glanced over at Ten, wondering what in the universe would have possessed him to create a human Meta-Crisis. That would have been cruel, even for him.

"Find her," ordered the Master darkly. "Found her."

"Say good-bye to the freak, granddad." The Master put the phone up to Wilf's ear, and Wilf immediately started telling Donna to run. Suddenly, the Master lost contact with the whole area.

"I don't want to die," said Donna, and the line went dead. Wilf began pleading with his granddaughter to answer. He knew she'd started to remember. And he knew if she remembered, she would die. He started to cry.

Nine looked on with worry. While Ten was grinning a huge smile behind his gag. The Master looked at both Doctors. Something wasn't right. He knew it. He stalked over to the smiling Doctor, and removed his gag.

"Oh, hello. That's better." Ten smiled disarmingly. "But really. Do you think I'd leave my best friend without a defense mechanism?"

"Doctor," asked Wilf, "what happened?"

"She's alright, she's fine, promise. She'll just sleep."

The Master wasn't happy. Even with a world of himself, and the Doctor strapped in his custody, the Doctor had still won. He grimaced. "Tell me," ordered the Master. "Where's your TARD..."

"Sir, we found it." The Master stood up. "What?"

One of his copies stepped forward, holding a phone to his ear. "We found his TARDIS," said the copy.

Both Doctors paled.

"Having it brought her now, sir," the copy continued. "We never would have found it if we hadn't been tracing that call. Picked up a huge power spike at the same moment. She lit up like a... Christmas tree." The copy smiled at the reference to the current time of year on Earth.

The Master laughed. "Perfect."

_Brought here, _thought the Doctors. Then it couldn't be Ten's, because Ten's was already here. It would have to have been Nine's. But why was there a power spike? Both Doctors suddenly feared for their wards, and Rose.

_I hope that lock holds_, thought Ten, wishing he'd built it himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Master had spent the last few hours doing everything he could think of to get the TARDIS tucked in the corner of the room in the Naismith's mansion to open. He'd gotten the outer lock device off using Ten's sonic screwdriver, and ungagged Nine to gloat. But, to both the Doctors amazement and relief, for some reason he hadn't been able to open her doors. They could feel the TARDIS struggling to keep the Master out. They could feel her strain. They could feel her fear. And so could the Master.

"Open it!" the Master demanded the Doctors. "Don't think she wants to open," said Nine. "Nope," added Ten. "Definitely not."

The Master stormed back over to the machine. He shouted at it. And in a moment of clear frustration, he pounded three times on the door. CLICK. The doors opened. Both Doctors gasped as they felt the loss of the TARDIS in their minds. The Master stopped in surprise, watching a human girl slumped to the floor and slip into unconsciousness by the console. His eyes widened. He looked back at the Doctors with a devilish grin.

"Activate program!" shouted Ten. "Intruder alert!" Nine looked at Ten, puzzled. Ten groaned. Of course Nine didn't have that program yet. He'd never been through the year that never was. He had no idea he needed it.

"Nothing's happening," said the Master, thinking of the emergency program Ten supposedly activated. "Still." He didn't want to risk himself. "You," he said to a copy, "get the girl." He turned to another copy. "Check on that program. The rest of you, see what else you can find." He was careful not to step foot inside the time ship himself.

"What did you do to her?!" demanded Ten, when the copy dumped Sara's body on a nearby sofa. Nine clenched his jaw in anger when he saw her.

"Oh, I didn't touch her," said the Master. He let his eyes wonder over the girl. "...yet," he added.

"Sir, she's dead." It was one of the copies referring to the TARDIS. "No power. No control. Not even lights."

"What?" The Master ran into the TARDIS. Several minutes went by before he reemerged. "What did you do?" he asked the Doctors.

"Intruder alert program," lied Nine. "Can't have her falling into the wrong hands."

"You wouldn't," said the Master in disbelief. "You... you wouldn't kill your own..."

Nine could feel the absence of the TARDIS' mind in his. With all he'd lost in the last few days, losing her touch in his mind was almost too much. It took all his willpower not to break down right there.

"You would," concluded the Master in disbelief when he felt the Doctor's grief. "The last TARDIS in the entire universe. You moronic bastards! What's a Time Lord without a TARDIS?" The Master's words hurt Nine even more.

"Sir." The Master turned around to see what his copy wanted. Rose and Lilly had been brought out, and were roughly dragged away from the TARDIS. They'd obviously been pulled out of bed, still dressed in pajamas. "Look what we found."

"Ohh, Lilly Brooks." She cringed at the Master's use of her name. "You and I have some unfinished business, I think." He came incredibly close to her, making her feel uncomfortable. He raised his hand to caress her cheek, letting it drift down her neck before letting it drop. But first..." He turned his attention to Rose. "...introductions. Who are you?"

"She's nobody," Lilly answered quickly for her. "Just some chav we picked up yesterday. Marion. But she goes by Mary." Rose was surprised Lilly knew her middle name. But Lilly just hoped Rose wouldn't be offended with her calling her a chav. "Mary, this is the Master." Rose instantly understood the seriousness of the situation they were in. Lilly hoped even more that Rose would play along. If the Master had control over the TARDIS for two and a half years, there was no telling what kind of information he'd come across. And if he somehow knew about Rose, she would be in a lot more danger than a typical human. "We were just going to drop her off, and..." The Master's hand tightened around Lilly's throat.

"Don't. Lie. To. Me," he ordered.

Sara blinked open her eyes when she heard the Master, instantly recognizing where she was. _How did I get here? _she wondered. She was even more frightened when she realized she couldn't move.

The Master turned to Rose, but didn't release Lilly. "Your name," he demanded in a low voice. Rose glanced at Lilly. She was struggling to breathe. "Rose." She looked back at the Master. "Rose Tyler."

The Master released Lilly and stepped back. "Rose Tyler?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "Rose Tyler, as in **THE **Rose Tyler." He turned around to face the Doctors. "Ohh, this is Christmas. You shouldn't have. No. No, I mean it. This is too much." He waved a hand toward the time machine. "A TARDIS. Which I will figure out how to get her working, by the way." He gestured toward Lilly. "A time sensitive." He nodded at Sara. "A snack." He looked over Rose.

"And to top it off, you give me... Rose Marion Tyler." The Master gestured grandly toward the human. He glanced back at the Doctors for only half a second, before facing Rose again. "The same Rose Tyler who helped stop a Gelth invasion in 1869. The same Rose Tyler who helped stop World War Three, who destroyed that Dalek in Utah?" Rose looked at him completely stunned, and the Master grinned at her. "Nice work, by the way. Forcing it to assimilate your DNA so you could order it to kill itself. Smart. My kind of girl."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," said Rose.

The Master picked up a strand of Rose's hair, and began rubbing it between his fingers. "You know what my favorite bit was," he told Rose. "When you stole his TARDIS, and used it to single handedly murder every last Dalek in existence." He came close and breathed in her scent. He whispered in her ear, "Genocide." He spoke the word with reverence, drawing it out. "How did that feeeel? asked the Master, moving back to look in her eyes. Rose tried to step back, but she only ended up bumping into the Master's copy holding onto her.

"Stop it," ordered Ten. Nine only stiffened.

"All that power." The Master ignored the Doctor. "And using it to kill."

"Stop it!" Ten's voice was louder

"To rip a part an entire species," the Master went on. "All to save your precious Doctor."

Nine looked questioningly at Ten. And Ten looked back at Nine, letting him know the Master was right.

"Blimey," said Nine. He was suddenly simultaneously in awe and a bit scared of Rose Tyler. Just what kind of companion was she?

"You're completely mental," said Rose. "I don't know who you're talkin' about, but 's not me." The Master studied Rose for a long moment, disappointment all over his face.

"Why doesn't she remember?" He turned back to face the Doctors. "Weeell," Ten drew out his word. "She **is **only human." "Oi," said Rose, slightly offended.

"Yeah," the Master frowned. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then smiled. "Still..." He began to laugh. "I always did like blonds." He turned to one of his copies. "Bring me a piece of cloth, about a foot long."

"No!" shouted Ten. Nine looked at him, puzzled.

"And tie her. Make her secure." The Master motioned towards Lilly. But said nothing about Rose. Sara could tell she could move again, but didn't dare. She kept her eyes closed, only peeking through her lashes.

Ten began struggling against his restraints. "Let her go," he ordered.

"Oh, I don't think so," the Master answered.

"What's the matter?" Nine asked Ten quietly.

"Are you thick?!" answered Ten. Nine glared at Ten. "A piece of cloth," Ten repeated, "about a foot long."

"No," Nine realized. "She's human! Why would he...?

"Because she's yours," answered the Master. "Because I can take her from you just like I've taken your TARDIS. Like I've taken everything."

"He's done it before," whispered Ten, "with a human." He was thinking of Lucy. The Master had destroyed her.

The Master stalked over closer to the Doctors, dragging Rose with him. "Remember Lucy?" he grinned. "Now, think about Rose Tyler. Think of everything I'm going to do to her, the woman you love."

Ten began clenching his hands into fists, and using all his strength, began pushing against the straps binding him.

Rose looked at the Master, shock covering her face. "Doctor?" She looked at Nine, questioningly.

"It's alright, Rose," he tried to reassure her.

"More than alright," said the Master. His grin made her skin crawl. Rose tried to pull out of the Master's grasp, but he was too strong.

A few minutes later, the scene was set. Both Doctors were again gagged, so they couldn't interfere. Lilly was tied hands behind her back to a decorative pole. And the Master stood facing Rose in front of Lilly. One of his copies stood behind her, holding her arms, so she couldn't run. The Master took one of her hands, and bound one end of the cloth around it.

"Wha'... Wha' are you doing," Rose demanded, fear in her voice. She glanced between the Doctors and the Master. He looked into her eyes, like a starving animal drooling over a turkey dinner.

"It's called a bonding ceremony," answered the Master. Both Doctors were struggling violently to escape their chairs. "Oh, your human," he commented to himself. "We're getting married," he explained in human terms.

Rose sputtered a laugh. "Yeah right, mate. 'S not happenin'. Takes two to agree to that. And my answers no."

The Master stepped closer to her. "I don't need your permission. Time Lord bonds were arranged. No consent needed. Now hush!" He put his finger to his lips, and stared into her eyes. Rose couldn't look away, she couldn't move, and she couldn't speak. She could feel the Master's telepathic touch tickle near her temples, and her whole body relaxed. The copy let her go. Rose didn't try to run. She didn't move. She just stood there, staring into the Master's eyes. "That's better," said the Master, "Like a woman should be."

The Master turned to face Lilly, coming way to close for comfort. He leaned in, and looked into her eyes. "I consent and gladly give," he said. Lilly didn't move, she didn't look away. She couldn't. "I consent and gladly give," the Master repeated.

"I... I con..." Lilly stopped, trying to break away. "I consent and gladly give," said the Master the third time. "I consent and gladly give," Lilly's mouth spoke the words on its own, and the Master grinned.

"Oh, how's that going to work then," piped up Wilfred. "Forcing a marriage. How does that make sense? Just leave the poor girls alone." The man seemed to pull all his emotion together. "Let them go," he demanded.

The Master rolled his eyes. "Time Lord bonding," he answered, "is so much more than your concept of... breeding." The last word was spat out with disgust. He turned to his copy. "Gag granddad," he ordered. "Wouldn't want any interruptions."

Sara carefully began to sit up. She looked around the room. Besides the Master, there were only three copies in the room. And all of them were focused on Rose and Lilly. Sara looked over at the Doctors. They looked back at her. She carefully, and ever so slowly, slid to the floor. She began to crawl towards the Doctors, and began to quietly unbuckle Ten. He was the closest, so she started with him. As she worked at the straps, she could hear the Master.

"I am the Master. I am of the House of Oakdown. I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey. And as is my right, I lay claim to this woman as mine." His hand was wrapped in one end of the long cloth. The other end was wrapped around Rose's. He could see the struggle in her eyes. Every part of her was trying to get away from him, trying to run. Her breathing was labored, but her body refused to move.

The Master looked over at Lilly. "I consent and gladly give." Lilly's words cut the air, and the Master grinned. He closed his eyes, and sighed. Rose could feel him touching the outside of her consciousness. She could feel his essence crawling over her skin, and she began to tremble. His overwhelming presence instantly penetrated her core. It was nothing like anything she'd ever felt before. She knew he was claiming her. She would be his forever, no escape.

"Ohh, that's gooood," sighed the Master. He opened his eyes to look at his wife, and smiled. His smile slipped, however, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He dropped the bonding cloth, and stormed towards Sara who was crouched behind Ten working frantically to free him. The clones followed close behind him. She saw him coming and scrambled to get away from him. "I don't think so," he shouted, grabbing a hold of Sara, pulling her to her feet.

He gasped when he touched her. "Oh, what do we have here?" Sara tried to pull away, but the Master quickly readjusted his hold to both her upper arms. He leaned in close, an inhaled. "Ohh, what are you?" He didn't hesitate. The Master leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, tasting the energy she'd already started to replicate again. Sara stood stunned for a moment, staring at the Master in shock. She turned her head, trying to get away from him, but he followed her, forcing the kiss, reveling her taste. She kept turning her head, first one way, and then the other. The Master slipped his hands down to her wrists, and pinned her hands into the small of her back, pulling her into him. He continued to chase her kiss. Just like the Doctor kissing Rose to pull the time vortex out of her on the game station, the Master was kissing Sara to pull the energy she was creating to satisfy his unending hunger.

Finally, Sara's energy was exhausted. She could no longer fight him, and his kiss deepened. When he released her mouth, she collapsed against him. "THAT was delicious." He smacked his lips together. Suddenly, the Master was hit over the back of the head with the butt of a gun. He dropped Sara, and dropped to the ground. Simultaneously, one of the Master's copies landed on the ground next to him also having been hit. The two remaining copies removed their helmets.

They were the Vinvocci, come to help. The female Vinvocci ran over to Wilf, and began cutting his ropes, while the male started unstrapping Nine. When Wilf was freed, the female Vinvocci moved on to cut Lilly's ropes. Wilf ran over to Sara, trying to pick her up bridal style.

"Oh," he groaned under the strain. "too old for this." He couldn't get her up on his own. Lilly looked at Rose. She hadn't moved.

"These straps are taking too long!" said the male Vinvocci. They could hear the copies coming. The Master groaned.

"Just," the female looked at Lilly. "Just wheel him," she ordered, leaving Lilly to help Wilf carry Sara. "We don't have time for the others."

Wilf hesitated.

"Go!" Ten tried to shout through his gag. A moment later several copies ran through the room, chasing after Nine, Wilf, Sara, and the two Vinvocci. The Master jumped to his feet, shot Ten a glare, and ran after the others. Besides the still unconscious copy, only Lilly, Rose, and Ten were left in the room. Ten strained everything he had on the last few straps Sara hadn't been able to get to. His whole body shook with effort. SNAP! The first band broke. Snap snap. The last bands were finally gone. He reached up and removed his gag, reached down to free his legs, and raced over to Rose. He took her by the shoulders.

"Rose," he pleaded, looking into her eyes. "Rose," he tried again. Ten reached up, briefly touching one temple, pulled back and snapped his fingers. Rose and Lilly both blinked.

Ten nodded. "Good. Good." He raced over to Lilly, snapping her ropes. The Vinvocci had almost finished cutting through them, making it easier for him to break.

"C'mon," he said to Lilly, pulling her back over to Rose who was still a little dazed. "He's in my head," Rose winced.

Ten didn't waste any time. He grabbed her hand as he and Lilly ran by. "Run," he said in that special Doctorly way.

"Oi_!" _they heard the only copy left in the room shout. Ten didn't waste any time. He pulled the two girls in an out of hallways and rooms, finally ending up in an empty closet just as several copies ran past. The three of them were silently holding their breaths.

Only a moment after the copies ran by, the Doctor turned to Rose. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so, SO sorry. But you've got minutes. Rose, do you understand, you've got minutes until what he did is permanent. He didn't touch you after he... So, it's not permanent yet. Point is you've got minutes. I can still undo what he did, but you're going to have to make a choice," he warned her. Usually, he would have just done what he knew was best. But after all the mistakes he'd been making lately, he had to let Rose choose. He couldn't make this choice for her.

"He's...," she grimaced. "He's inside me," she said. "I can feel him inside me."

"I know. I'm sorry." Ten swallowed. "He's bonded with you. If I leave it, in a few minutes he'll be with you forever, for the rest of your life. Or..."

"Or wha'?" asked Rose.

"Or you can bond with me. The other Doctor would have worked too. But you've got to make a choice now, and he's not here. There's no way to break a Time Lord bond. The only thing I can do is transfer it. And I can only do that because he didn't touch you after he bonded with you."

Rose involuntarily stepped back from the Time Lord bumping into shelves of bedding. There was a look of disgust on her face. How could she even think of bonding with this Doctor after everything he'd done? How could she even trust him?

"Please, Rose," the Doctor begged. "With all my hearts, PLEASE!" He looked at her with eyes as old as time, tears catching the tiny bit of light coming through the space around the closet door. "I promise I'll do better. I'll spend the rest of my lives trying to be worthy of you." He dropped to one knee. "It's him or me," he explained. "And its got to be now."

Rose looked questioningly at Lilly. "Oh, the Doctor is definitely a better choice," she answered.

Rose hesitated a moment more. "Alright," she answered, wincing and rubbing her temples. "He's... He's calling me."

"We've got to hurry." Ten stood up, pulled off his tie, and wrapped it around Rose's hand. Taking the other end for himself, he said, "I am the Doctor of the house of Lungbarrow. I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey. And as is my right, I beg this woman to be mine." The Doctor stared into Rose's eyes. To Rose, it was like looking into eternity. To the Doctor, it was like looking into heaven.

"Oh!" Rose winced in pain. The Master was trying to find her. "Lilly!" The Doctor whispered a shout. "I consent and gladly give. Sorry," she added, "I forgot."

But the Doctor and Rose were no longer listening. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he was in deep concentration. Rose could feel the Doctor's consciousness spreading over her skin. She could feel him beginning to battle with the Master for claim over her. She felt Ten shift, and begin moving inside her mind, spreading himself through her soul, pushing the Master out. The Doctor didn't feel like the Master. While the Master felt hard and cold, the Doctor filled her with warmth. There was a sadness he carried with him, a sense of loss. She couldn't help but reach

out to comfort that sadness. And with her mental touch, the sadness turned to a deep sense of gratitude, and... and something else.

When the Doctor's overwhelmingly powerful presence took the place of the Master in her core, both the Doctor and Rose sighed a groan in relief. Simultaneously, they could hear every copy of the Master cry out in pain, and loss. Rose could feel the Doctor claiming her, making her his, forever. Rose was nervous. She didn't really know this man. She'd only met him a few days ago. And he hadn't made the best impression. The Doctor could feel her hesitation, and regretted having to take this action, especially since she had no idea what she'd just agreed to. But at least she wouldn't be trapped with an insane Time Lord in her mind. The Doctor would let her have her freedom. He'd protect her, protect her freedom with every ability he had. She was Rose Tyler, and now she was his, really and truly his.

The Doctor opened his eyes, and looked at his wife. Rose was amazed. She could feel the Doctor. She could feel his emotion, his love for her echoing through her soul. How could anyone love so much?

_Rose_. She heard him call her name. _My beautiful Rose_. A tear slipped down Ten's cheek.

_D...Doctor? _She thought, feeling that familiar presence she'd come to associate with Nine.

He smiled at her. _I'm here_.

She looked into his eyes, knowing he'd heard her. And with a stab of fear, she tried to back away.

"You're in my head," she told him.

Ten could feel her fear, and her desire to run from him. It hurt. He remembered when his Rose had been so upset about the TARDIS being in her head back on Platform One, and cringed. This was so much more than that. Would she ever be able to accept this?

Rose could feel the Doctor's hurt. She could feel his worry, and wondered. She was instantly sorry she'd hurt him, and the Doctor knew it. She felt his surprise at her sympathy towards him.

"Blimey," she whispered. Ten quietly chuckled at her thought. _It does take some getting used to_. "I... I've got a boyfriend," Rose whispered. _Mickey the idiot_, remembered the Doctor.

"Oi_!" _"Shhhh," warned Ten.

"The Doctor will find us a way back home," whispered Rose, thinking of Nine. "I know he will, so..." Suddenly, the understanding of what happened to her universe flooded her mind. Ten hadn't meant to think it. It just happened.

"Wha'... wha was that?" asked Rose, suddenly concerned. Ten swallowed. "Rose," he whispered, "Can we talk about it later? We're kind of..."

"No. No, you were thinkin' of my mum, my dimension, my..." Rose covered her mouth. "Oh, no."

"I'm sorry," started Ten. "Rose, I'm so sorry." She could feel the Doctors guilt. _Wha' did you do? _she wondered. _I killed them. _The Doctor couldn't hold back. Rose was in his mind.

_No_. She shook her head. _No, not my mum, not Mickey_. But Rose could feel what the Doctor knew he had done. She just knew. _Sharene_? _Grandma Prentice_? _Natalie and Suki and the Rogers next door and_... Rose looked at Ten, feeling her world crash down around her.

_Rose, I'm so sorry_. _How could you! _she demanded. He could feel her hurt, her anger. "How could you... Why..." "Rose." Ten let go of his tie, and reached out to comfort her.

"Don't touch me," she almost shouted. "Don't you ever touch me." Rose dropped his tie. "My family. My friends. My planet." The sound of her voice was getting louder. "My whole world!" Tears flushed her eyes.

_Rose, you need to calm down. The Master..._

"Don't tell me what..."

Ten raised his fingers towards her temples. She gasped. And he stopped just shy of touching her.

"You wouldn't," said Rose, understanding he was thinking of putting her to sleep. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and it was getting harder for her to control her breathing.

Ten knew if Rose couldn't be quiet, the Master would find them. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let the Master get a hold of his wife. He was a Time Lord. And the Master would use her against him. The Doctor hesitated. _I can't let the Master find you_, he thought to her. _Not you_.

_So, you just force me to sleep! What kind of person does that! _Thoughts of all the people Rose knew who'd died in the other dimension ravaged through Ten's mind as she remembered them. He was struck with tidal wave after tidal wave of grief and anger, feelings of betrayal and feelings of despair coming through their newly constructed bond.

_Oh, Rose_. Ten struggled against the onslaught, but he didn't resist. He knew he deserved it. He deserved this and so much more. His bottom lip quivered. Tears tracked down his face. Lilly silently watched as the high and mighty Time Lord experienced his own personal hell. The utter and complete rejection he felt from Rose was worse than anything he'd ever felt in his whole life. In that moment he wished he could die. No. He wished he'd never been born.

Suddenly, the onslaught stopped. Rose sucked in little puffs of air, trying to stop her crying. "Don't," she said. _Don't think like that. There's_... She held her breath, trying to stop her sobs. _There's been enough people dead today, yeah?_

Ten swallowed hard. He was completely and utterly amazed at the woman he'd just married. How could she not hate him? How could she not wish he was dead? She'd just lost everything, her mum, Mickey, her whole world. But she was trying to push her own hurt aside so she wouldn't hurt another, so she wouldn't hurt the one responsible. He wanted to take her in his arms, and hold her close. He wanted to give her any amount of comfort he could. But he knew, she didn't want that. She might not want to hurt him. But she certainly didn't want him to touch her.

_Rose_. Ten tried to tamp down the unbridled emotions raging through his mind, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. _I need to touch you. If I don't, the Master could still take you back_.

Rose hesitated. Would the Master be better? Ten felt his hearts begin to break. What kind of monster had he become, if Rose Tyler thought the Master was better? She took in a staggered breath, reached out, and slipped her hand into his. Their hands fit together like a glove. Both Rose and the Doctor inhaled sharply as they felt the bond cement into place. It was no longer in flux. The bond was fixed.

"Thank you," whispered Ten. He could feel the stability of his own mind regaining some privacy. He knew Rose would always have access to his mind anytime she wished it, but at least now she wouldn't be hit with his stray thoughts. Rose, on the other hand, would need some training. It would take some time for her to learn how to keep her thoughts to herself.

"That looked like it hurt," said Lilly, after a moment. She remembered what it was like to have Ten work his way into her mind. She remembered the searing pain of the Master thrusting himself into her. And she wondered at what Rose had just experienced. The bonding certainly didn't take as long as Ten had when he'd been trying to remove his name from Lilly before. Maybe he'd been in a rush to complete the bond so the Master couldn't try to bond with Rose again.

Rose shook her head as she let go of Ten's hand. She turned away. She was still silently crying. "Bonding's different than telepathy," explained Ten to Lilly. He was hit with another wave of emotion from Rose, and closed his eyes to steady himself. She was trying to hold back, but she couldn't help grieving. And he still felt it.

The Doctor sniffed deeply. "He's coming," he warned. He could sense the Master's approach. "I need to get to the TARDIS." The Doctor looked up. He was searching for a place to hide the girls, someplace where they would be safe while he went after the TARDIS. And he'd found it. "Attic access." The Doctor pointed at the ceiling. "I'll leave you..." He closed his eyes, again feeling emotions from Rose. "I'll leave you two here, and go after the TARDIS on my own. I'll come back for you." The Doctor reached up, and pushed the attic access open. "Rose," he said. She turned back to him, and let him boost her into the attic, but she didn't look at him. Ten could still feel her fighting her anger. She was so furious with him. He frowned deeply.

"You're next," he said to Lilly. But instead of hoisting her up like he had for Rose, he linked his hands together to create a foothold for her to step on. She placed her foot on his linked hands, holding onto his shoulders as he lifted her towards the ceiling. As Lilly crawled into the access door, something in her pocket caught on its frame. It was her iPod.

When Lilly had made it back to the TARDIS, and after she'd visited with Sara, showing her an episode of 'Doctor Who' on her iPod, she'd taken a quick shower and changed into her pajamas before going to bed. She'd slipped her iPod into her pajama pants pocket, so she wouldn't forget it in her bathroom. But when Lilly finally made it into her room, she was so tired, she'd fallen asleep in her chair. She'd never made it to her bed, and she'd never emptied her pockets. She hadn't put her iPod back in her dresser like she'd planned. And when the copies of the Master woke her, all thoughts of her iPod fled her mind. She'd forgotten it was there.

The iPod was caught on the attic access frame, and pulled out of her pocket when she continued into the ceiling. It plummeted to the ground next to Ten. _Oh no! _she thought. Ten reached down. He picked up his tie and Lilly's iPod. Lilly went to reach for it, but at the same moment they could hear someone just outside the closet doors. Ten slipped the iPod into his pocket, and jumped up, sliding the attic access closed. He landed only a half second before the closet door opened.

"Hiding in a closet," accused one of the copies. "Always the coward, Doctor."

"That's me." Lilly and Rose heard him answer. "Where are the girls?" asked the copy.

"Girls?" the Doctor played dumb. "Oh, right. Lilly and ... your wife?" He looked at the copy. "How's the marriage going?" he asked. "Did my other self manage to cause a divorce?" He grinned.

Lilly and Rose heard a scuffle. Rose inhaled sharply. She could feel the Doctor's discomfort. _I'm alright, Rose. I'm alright_. Rose calmed a little at his words. He was still alive.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the Master witnessed Nine and Sara transmatting away with the two Vinvocci, he ran back to the main room, determined to make the Doctors suffer through what he was going to do to Rose.

"Aarg!" he growled when he saw the empty room. "Find them!" he shouted. The Master calmed himself. With the telepathic command he'd given Rose, she hadn't been able to think too much. But if the Doctor had released her... The Master took a deep cleansing breath, and closed his eyes. _Rose_, he thought. He could feel her. He could feel her mind squirming to get away from his. _Rose, where are you? _he asked. _Oh_, he thought, _there you are_. _Don't think you can hide from me. I can feel you_.

"Check dark small rooms," shouted the Master. "They're in a small room, no windows." He closed his eyes, again searching for what was his. Suddenly, the Master was struck with the presence of another mind. _Doctor_. The Master recognized him. He could feel the Doctor's powerful mental energy pushing him off of Rose's mind. _NO! _The Master struggled to maintain control. He reached deep within himself, grasping at her. Unexpectedly, the Master's mind felt like someone was ripping it in two. The pain was beyond description.

_Get out! _they all heard and felt the fury of the Oncoming Storm throwing them from Rose. The Master, and every copy dropped to the ground, screaming in agony. When the Master finally managed to get to his feet several minutes later, he felt empty, alone. His wife was gone. He'd lost her. With an angry shout, the Master flashed blue, shooting energy from his hands. When some of it hit the TARDIS, she lit up. _What? _thought the Master in surprise. He could feel the sentient ship in his thoughts. _Well, look at that_. That was some of the energy he'd stolen from Sara. _Interesting_.

The TARDIS tried to close her doors, but it didn't do any good. The Master had several copies already on board. And with just a few simple commands, the TARDIS was his. He ran into the ship, fully intending to use her. But he was disappointed when he realized her energy levels were still too low. She might be alive, but she wasn't going anywhere without another energy boost.

The Master knew he didn't want to expend anymore energy, at least not until he'd refueled himself. _Where are you? _He thought of Sara. _Oh, she tasted divine_. He stepped out of the TARDIS to see several copies dragging a beaten Doctor into the room.

"There's no sign of Rose or Lilly," reported a copy. "But we're still looking." The copies began restraining Ten back in his chair, taking care to replace the broken straps as they went.

The Master stormed up to him. "Where's my wife?" he demanded.

"Ohh," said the Doctor, wincing at his split lip when he tried to smile. "She's not on this planet anymore." The Master struck him hard across the face. And the Doctor could feel Rose worry. He knew she could feel his distress. "She's long gone," he told the Master.

"With your next self." The Master seemed deflated. "But if I kill you..."

"Yeah, that won't help," explained the Doctor. "You see. He's number nine." The Doctor gave the Master a look. "I'm the older model."

The Master deflated for only a moment. "Which means she's already long dead to you. She was only human. Tell me, Doctor. How does it feel to lose someone you've bonded with?"

The Doctor calmed his features. He wouldn't think about what it would be like to watch Rose age, to feel her slowly die right in front of him, to feel her die and not be able to save her. He wouldn't think of how much emptier his life would become without her. He couldn't bare it. He felt Rose's surprise and sympathy as he tried to push those thoughts away. How was she still reading him? He hadn't sent anything to her. The Doctor swallowed.

"You could be so wonderful," he told the Master, shifting his thoughts to the problem at hand instead of the problems in the future. "You're a genius. You're stone cold brilliant, you are. I swear, you really are. But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful. With a mind like that, we could travel the stars."

_NO! _The Doctor felt Rose's fear. _It's alright, Rose. Trust me. I'd never let him hurt you_, thought the Doctor. Her anger and grief

still radiated through the link. He closed his eyes, taking the wave of emotion.

"It would be my honor," the Doctor continued with the Master. It was so hard to think while feeling what Rose was going through. "'Cause you don't need to own the universe, just see it. To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space. That's ownership enough."

"Would it stop then? The noise in my head."

For a moment, the Doctor had hope. "I can help." "I don't know what I'd be without that noise," said the Master. "I wonder what I'd be," responded the Doctor, "without you."

The Master looked at the Doctor thoughtfully. He swallowed. "Yeah," responded the Master. But the Doctor could barely hear him. He could feel Rose sobbing inside his mind. She was trying so hard to hold it back, trying so hard not to hurt him. But she was human. And humans needed to grieve.

_Go ahead, Rose_, the Doctor tried to tell her. _You don't have to hold back_. He watched the Master walk away. The Doctor knew he'd be busy for a while. Whatever he was up to was taking all of his attention. Probably trying to find his dimensional duplicate, he thought. If Rose was going to release her emotions, now would be the best time. But she held back, pushing down her feelings. The Doctor knew that was the worst thing she could do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nine was furious finding himself transported onto a spaceship, having been forced to leave Rose and Lilly behind with his counterpart. He threatened the Vinvocci with every dire warning he could muster to turn their course to Ten's TARDIS but they refused to listen, utterly set on their course.

Barely had they undid the straps, did Nine make some swift calculations in his head, turning to the Vinvocci. "Where's your flight desk?" He asked while hurriedly using his sonic on the transport control panel reworking the location where the transmat would ultimately send them.

"But we're safe!" The Vinvocci protested. "We're a hundred thousand miles above the earth!"

"Oh, right, then." Nine said. "And who has control over all the missiles on earth?"

The female Vinvocci swallowed. "Good point." She started to run down the corridor as Nine hesitated, bent down to lift Sara up in his arms gesturing for Wilfred to follow. He knew they would set a destination away from earth as soon as they reached the controls, so he prepared to have the three sent back to a location right near Ten's TARDIS.

"Wilfred!" He said loudly, interrupting the older man's apparent attempt at star gazing, "Need you over here." Wilf complied looking puzzled. "But what-?" He asked.

"Take my arm." Nine said, leaving no room for argument. His hands were full carrying Sara and holding his sonic. The older man thankfully complied and as soon as he did, Nine pressed a button on his sonic, activating the transmat device sending them into a closeted interior right near where Ten's TARDIS was located. He was thankful that Ten had taken the precaution of giving him an additional key and Nine already knew the frequency that was being used that put the TARDIS out of sync. No guards were present so he had to be quick.

"I still can't move." Sara groaned, frustrated at being so helpless as she attempted to lift her legs, grating her teeth in anger.

"Need quiet from both of you to do this." Nine instructed. Handing the TARDIS key to Wilfred, he told him. "Think you can unlock the door as soon as she appears. Must be quick."

"Course I can." Wilfred exclaimed. Nine aimed the sonic, the TARDIS came back into view, and Wilfred immediately moved, unlocking the door for Nine. They heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor as the Master's clones were hurriedly closing in on their location. Swiftly, Nine carried in Sara behind Wilfred, shutting and locking the door behind him, which, he knew, would prevent the Master from gaining entry for now. This TARDIS was fully functional but it wasn't his TARDIS from his dimension and he could sense the distinction with her presence being ever so slightly off. Despite their safeguards, he didn't have the control he would need to navigate her console. His name would work as a code word for his TARDIS in his own universe but for this TARDIS he would need to be granted direct authority by Ten where his counterpart would verbally present Nine with his own name to open up the TARDIS mainframe. In retrospect he should have secured this from his duplicate but the events had left him inexplicably stranded, which only left him one solution. It decidedly was an unpleasant task but the sooner he moved the TARDIS out of sync again the better so he could work out a strategy to locate Lilly and Rose.

He pondered how Sara would cope with this impending trial by fire and he shook his head knowing this wasn't how they wanted to introduce her to the TARDIS but he had no choice. She had managed to overcome her own fear and self-doubt by saving the life of the very man who abused her. In turn, he would be forced to tell her that Ten had made another life altering decision in order to save her life and there was no taking it back. He braced himself to prepare for the aftermath of what he knew would be a chaotic experience since Sara was ill equipped for this.

Placing Sara down on the jump seat, hearing the pounding outside the door, he bent down to her level. "Need to tell you something Sara."

"It's not that I'm time sensitive again, right?" She muttered. Sure, she and Lilly had this discussion but it didn't mean she was happy about it.

He winced. Lilly must have had her hands full with that conversation and Sara still seemed resentful but he had to be patient. Lilly hadn't suffered from abuse by a Time Lord for several weeks when she ran into his TARDIS. In Sara's case dealing with the loss of her dimension and then Ten's predilection to play along with her fantasy of their life as a show on the tele dealt its own damage. He swore when it was over, he would strive to work more patiently with Sara on coming to terms with reality. But that would have to wait.

"No." He told her and she looked relieved.

"Sorry 'bout this but need your help with this TARDIS."

"My help?" Sara asked blankly.

"Can't navigate her without permission from my counterpart." Nine explained. "His name."

"You already know your name." Sara shook her head confused.

"This TARDIS isn't from my dimension and the same goes for my counterpart. Only one he freely gave his name to is you." Nine explained.

Sara looked stunned. "But I didn't ask…"

Nine took her hands. "Wouldn't have given it to you if he didn't trust you. Need you just to think of the name right now. 'S all I need to navigate."

"I don't understand." Sara appeared perplexed but the pounding on the door caused her to think that it might not be the right time to pursue an explanation "But fine, if that's all you want." The request seemed simple on the surface as she allowed her thoughts to purposefully dwell on the Doctor's name.

She shrieked in pain, clutching her head feeling an overwhelming surge of information starting to seep into her mind that reminded her all to well of Ten's telepathic intrusions into her consciousness. Only the speed of delivery, the voice of the TARDIS, the images surrounding her, she couldn't possibly sort through it. _Is my mind going to burn, like Donna's? _ "No!" She cried out. "Make it stop." It was agonizing. She had no warning and no preparation for this kind of onslaught.

"Deep breaths, Sara." Nine advised as he quickly went to the console, instantly going through the dematerialization procedure. "Will be right there."

He had managed to sync them a second out of the events happening at the Naismith foundation, which would leave him the opportunity to plan his next step.

"What's happening to her?" Wilfred demanded. "What did you do?"

Nine for the moment ignored him, gripping Sara's arms and she could tell he was saying words but they were indistinguishable. _Can't make it stop. _Did he exact upon her what would be the same fate that occurred to Ten's last companion?

"Please don't wipe my memory!" She begged as she struggled to breathe and Nine took a swift intake of air while Wilfred looked alarmed.

"You won't have to do that to her too?" Wilf demanded of the Doctor who glanced back at him perplexed.

"He did it before?" Nine asked Wilfred remembering all to well Ten's accusations of brutality when it came to the 'final action'.

"My granddaughter. Doctor told you about her. Donna. Said her mind would burn without it." Wilfred told him sadly.

"Don't want it." Sara cried out. "Please don't-"

"Not going to. Promise" He said adamantly. "You control the connection. Can slow it down or turn if off in your mind. Just need to do it."

Sara's mind was nearly overwhelmed, Nine knew, and needed to adjust. Time Lords spent nearly over a century in the Academy learning the discipline of handling the TARDIS along with other mechanics of time and now he had to see if she could cope with the pressure of the telepathic connection of the TARDIS in a matter of minutes.

"Just focus." He prompted. "She's getting' to know you. Ask her to slow it down." Finally, after the space of several minutes Sara's face relaxed visibly as she looked around the TARDIS perplexed.

"What the hell was that?" Now that the pressure on her mind had eased she was furious. Nothing like that had ever happened and she had been on Ten's TARDIS for weeks. Now she felt a force nudging her gently within her mind and she didn't know how to respond. Much of the information she received, she could hardly interpret and her head pounded fiercely in result.

"I'm sorry." Nine muttered.

"For what? What happened."

"My counterpart told you our name." Nine explained.

"Yes, you said that already but I've had your name for weeks and-"

" 'S not the same thing as being given the name directly by a Time Lord." Nine told her.

How could he explain this to a human, especially to this human. He paused, weighing the situation in his mind. " 'S different from reading it in a book and you were granted it by the Time Lord himself."

Sara was getting tediously frustrated by a mistake she had already berated herself in making the moment she had seen 'The History of the Time War' and now there seemed to be only further consequences to her act of stupidity. "Then you have to remove it." She told him. It was too much of a burden and she had no idea why Ten would add insult to injury by vocally giving her his name in the first place.

The Doctor was silent while Wilfred looked at the pair curiously. He never inquired about the Doctor's name himself but given Sara's reaction to having it, he could only fathom, the name must be something terrible or embarrassing for the Time Lord to have since no one would say it aloud.

"Remove it!" Sara pleaded. "You have to take it back!"

Nine couldn't meet her eyes. "I can't."

"Can't or won't."

"Can't even if I wanted to. Once the name is given freely, can never be removed." He told her gently.

Sara looked at him desperately as she struggled in her chair attempting to move, feeling still lethargic having endured that perverse attack by the Master.

"Why would he do this to me?" She seriously pondered whether she was simply cursed. "I thought-" Sara was shaking her head. "I thought he was sorry."

"Probably is." He had to put it at simply as he could. "Name being shared like that is a gift. Sign of trust."

"But I'm not a Time Lord." Sara declared vehemently remembering Lilly's words that only they had the right to use his name.

Nine was silent for a moment thinking on the matter. His counterpart should be present to explain these details to Sara since it was Ten being fully aware of Gallefreyian customs presented her with his name.

"Nope still human." He finally replied which in his mind was a safe response while pulling out his sonic to confirm his previous findings that she had depleted the available energy stored in her cells while already in the process of restoring it at a tremendous rate. Nine took a moment to reflect on the sudden energy spike in his TARDIS that had made her location apparent. _Can't be. _He looked up at Sara and silently cursed.

He refrained from telling her all the implications of what Ten had invoked not wanting to overwhelm her but this? When they questioned her before, he only wanted to make certain she hadn't caused a paradox but if she had unwittingly attempted to heal his TARDIS, it was his decision not to forewarn her that put his companions in the predicament they were in now.

Nine grimaced as fury raged through him when he was forced to witness Rose being bonded with the Master, which tore through his very hearts. The only way to free her from such a union once it had been fixed was to kill the Master himself. _Kill another Time Lord. Already so few of us left. _Rose would then be forced to suffer the consequences of an emptiness that could never be filled. Rage burned inside him as he weighed the suffering Rose would endure at the hands of the Master if he remained alive versus having him perish and he clenched his jaw in anger.

"What?" Sara asked. "What is it?" Even she could tell he was infuriated and truth be told, he was making her a bit nervous. She remembered the look of horror he had given her earlier when he brought her back from the derelict fields for which he then concealed under a mask of effusive cheerfulness. She was seeing that very same transition occur all over again as he looked at his reading while again glancing at her.

"Nothin', you're fine. Just need some rest and-"

"You're lying to me, aren't you Doctor?" Sara accused flatly.

The Doctor was momentarily stunned having a flashback to when Lilly had accused him of the very same thing. _Has to be a connection between the two. _

"Why'd you ask that?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "River was right about you both."

"River?" He frowned. Who was River? _Is she predicting the future? _He frowned at Sara.

"The Doctor always lies." Sara was irritated that again this practice was in force and Nine was a full participant. No wonder Lilly so readily agreed to this deal she spoke of otherwise, how could she be certain she was securing an honest answer? _Maybe it was Lilly's deal and not his. _That was beginning to make a strange sort of sense as she looked at the Doctor who was examining her strangely. "I spent weeks imprisoned by Ten while he continued to lie directly to my face. You know what Sol IV is?"

Nine frowned. "Mars but what does that-?"

"Exactly. Mars, where he tried to break a fixed point in time. Told me it was Sol IV because he thought I had a phobia I had to confront. A lie by omission is still a lie!"

He grimaced. No wonder she was upset and maybe she was right. He only thought he was doing what was right but it disturbed him that like Lilly, Sara seemed to be this in tune with his personal rules.

"Has he met River yet?" Referring to his counterpart.

"Once so far." Sara paused. "She's dead."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Paradox." Sara explained. She pondered now with two Doctors in the timeline what impact that would have on River's life. Contemplating River's personality, she might thoroughly enjoy twice the fun or they could be on the road for a real set of disasters. Personally, Sara looked forward to meeting River but she knew if she tried to explain it to Nine, he wouldn't permit her. No. If she survived the Master, she and Lilly would discuss the potential outcome in secret away from their prying ears. _Far away. _Sara thought since Time Lords had impeccable hearing and she wouldn't risk obliterating this universe as well.

Nine observed her curiously and shrugged. At least she had some self-control and that answered the question of how Lilly and Sara obtained his personal rule to some degree.

"Sara," He tried. "Promise to explain it after the Master. We won't lie to you." He assured her. "Think my counterpart needs to be here to tell you. Can't just be me."

"But he's lied to me-"

"He'll tell the truth, promise." Nine assured her and he knew he would make an absolute certainty of it.

Sara was slowly regaining strength back in her legs and she slowly pushed herself back onto her feet unsteadily. Nine took her arm to offer support. "You all right?"

"Yes, the Master just-" What did he do? Twice now her strength had declined to the point she could hardly move and she couldn't determine a reason.

"Using your energy like fuel to keep him alive." Nine provided and Sara looked down at herself in disgust. Once again, she was a weapon, only this time to feed a psychopath who had cloned himself six billion times. She closed her eyes remembering how the Cybermen attempted to use her energy in a similar manner and shuddered as she contemplated the scenario where she and Lilly found themselves transported aboard, imprisoned by Ten, which caused her last suicide attempt. Was it truly worth it to keep a weapon like herself alive? Would she ever be safe anywhere or was she destined to put all those she cared about in danger?

She swallowed hard as she attempted to pull away. "Sara, 'S not your fault." Sara glanced at him blankly. "Yeah, okay." Letting out a brief sigh, wanting nothing more then time to herself, she glanced at him pleadingly. "I'm just going to use the bathroom. I'll find you when I'm done."

He decided not to push the matter, giving Sara her space and released her as she staggered down the corridor while he assessed the TARDIS console around him. It was nearly identical in every respect but still the loss of his own TARDIS grieved him and he felt an emptiness upon seeing her death that staggered him greatly but for now he was forced to set that aside since he had two companions on board depending on him for their survival.

"Going to check the storage room." He informed Wilfred who insisted on coming along only to get distracted by the library, which he noticed through the preceding door.

He shook his head, assessing the equipment available and as time passed, he kept a close eye on the corridor, pondering what was taking Sara so long. _Humans. _He thought remembering all too well how Lilly lingered in the bathroom while she still had shanoids festering inside her skin. Sara had promised to find him when she had finished but she seemed to have taken to dawdling in a very similar pattern. If he didn't see Sara in the next five minutes, he would have to go in search of her himself.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Several minutes had passed for Lilly and Rose as they huddled in the attic room that Ten had left them in as Rose waged an internal battle within her own mind, Lilly could only hold her friend's hand as a means of support. _What if it had been me? _The prospect horrified her that her marital choices would be dwindled between mass murdering psychopath and a man who abducted her, invaded her mind and threatened her with lifetime imprisonment.

" 'S not s'posed to be like this." Rose pressed her free hand to her head. "Don't even know him 'cept he stole you like he did Sara. She wouldn't wake up." Her eyes widened in reflection. "Destroyed my dimension."

"It was the Valeyard." Lilly tried to explain. "That's a little different because-"

"Sara said their shape changers, the Doctor, different body, yeah?" Rose asked perplexed.

Mentally Lilly cursed that she was left with this unpleasant task to talk up a version of the Doctor she was only lukewarm on herself. Rose didn't have the opportunity to grow to fall in love with the Doctor as she was meant to and Lilly shivered at what Nine's reaction would be. What about River? How would this impact the universe? She shook her head looking at Rose knowing her friend needed to know what she was getting into as a means of reassurance.

"The Valeyard is _not_ the Doctor." Lilly emphasized. "He's what happened because of the Time Lord Victorious."

"The wha?"

"You always made him better." Lilly explained. "But he lost you twice and-"

"His Rose, did she die?" Rose asked quietly.

"No. She's alive in an alternate dimension living with his human duplicate."

"You're joking." Rose paused. "'S what you meant by my fantastic life. Living there with him."

"It took a few years. Didn't just happen overnight. You were meant to help him save the world because I knew without you, he would die and the universe would die. All realities would cease to exist."

"Our universe is already dead." Rose said bleakly. " 'M only eighteen. Didn't want to get married. Not to him."

"He's not so bad. When he lost his Rose, he changed, suppressed his emotions and then Sara came along. He wasn't meant to have a companion and the timing was terrible. When he declared himself Time Lord Victorious, he tried to alter time. Sara managed to stop him but there were repercussions. He didn't pop out of it like he was meant to. He cut himself off further from his emotions and well-"

"Got worse?"

"Until recently." Lilly remembered how Ten had saved her from the Master and mended her shoulder extending an almost gentle demeanor. Something drastic had to occur to Ten although she could only speculate since he made a complete about face in asserting that Sara had been right all along regarding what occurred on Mars. She hadn't want to press Sara about it being exhausted herself and Sara being so readily upset with Nine's confrontation about her supposed time sensitivity but she suspected that both Ten and Sara had the answers to this question.

Rose was silent, and then grimaced as she turned to Lilly. "How am I s'pposed to believe him?" She expressed as she gave way to tears. "He was goin' to force me to sleep." She clutched her head. " 'S that how it's going to be? In my head all the time now? What 'appens if he gets mad?" For the first moment, Rose questioned her choice in coming to this universe so readily. She was petrified and that Doctor was not one she was remotely close to trusting. "I just want to go home." Rose murmured hopelessly as she started to weep in agony, feeling utterly trapped by her situation. Lilly put her arms around the friend she had grown to think of as a sister and rather then offer some false consolation, she empathized. "I know." She whispered in Rose's ear allowing her own tears to fall when she gave thought to her family, her little brother and all her friends that she knew she might never see again.

Hope kept her going but it was also a wearying prospect barely illuminating the corridors Lilly's life was forced to progress on but everyday brought new disappointment, more loss and toll. Would this be how she spent the rest of her life clinging to such little promise when disparity occurred around her. Did her family and friends notice her departure? Was her face plastered on missing posters or would police shuffle her off as a runaway? Did her reality even exist anymore? Since Sara's faced extinction, it raised serious questions about the health of her own dimension.

So she offered comfort to Rose by therefore easing her own agony clinging onto the girl, weeping with her as exhaustion slowly claimed them in that dim little corner of the attic, both of them holding onto each other, collecting what warmth they could as they faded into a dreamless sleep.

Slumber did not prove to be a lasting respite as both girls were jerked awake by the crashing sound of the attic door being opened and the Master's clones descending upon them yanking them forward.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Master had retreated; busy giving orders to his multiple selves while rapidly tearing the estate apart in search of Lilly and Rose while seeking transmat coordinates for the Vinvocci ship. For this, Ten could feel smug because surely his counterpart would burn out the transport device and secure the ship simply by the merits of what his own choices would be so-

"Evidence of transport on the premises." One of the clones reported.

_What!? _He seethed. What was his counterpart thinking?

"Find them." The Master demanded. "Get her back for me."

_Sara. _If the Master got his hands on her, she would give him an unending fuel supply and he clenched his jaw in desperation. Didn't he promise he would protect her.

"They're in the TARDIS. We can't get inside." One of the clones said.

"I have his sonic and with the right settings-" The Master started to say.

Ten suddenly felt Sara's terror and panic overwhelming her echoing through his mind and then he knew what his dimensional duplicate had compelled her to do.

"They already dematerialized." The clone reported as the Master turned on Ten furiously.

"Where did they go?"

The Doctor was already burdened with both Sara's incapacitating dread and the connection in his mind that tethered him to Rose as she sought comfort from Lilly. _There was no choice. _He told himself. _It was either him or me and I couldn't let him take her. _He readily knew this and knew being bonded to the Master for any human was a fate worse then death. The Doctor couldn't let that happen, even if she wasn't the Rose that had jumped dimensions to be at his side. She was still Rose and he still undeniably loved her. He was alleviated when finally Sara's emotions began to settle as her terror began to recede but it left him to hear in his mind Rose's struggle to cope with her impending grief.

' '_S not s'posed to be like this. Don't even know him 'cept he stole you like he did Sara. She wouldn't wake up. Destroyed my dimension.' _

Her words became clear in his mind as guilt surged through both his hearts. Ten was already well aware that he didn't deserve her and she was only just a child. He would never have put her in this position if there had been another way around it.

"_It was the Valeyard. That's a little different because-"_

He heard Lilly's voice through Rose's consciousness as she strived to comfort her friend.

"_Sara said their shape changers, the Doctor, different body, yeah?"_

A simplistic description. His personality didn't match his predecessor and even Lilly who quoted the varying traits had difficulty understanding regeneration. He knew it would be just like dying where every part of him fades away and a new man walks off alone.

"_The Valeyard is not the Doctor. He's what happened because of the Time Lord Victorious."_

He grimaced in reflection of those words. No, the Valeyard was not the Doctor but it was his future regeneration, which destroyed Rose's dimension that he held himself entirely accountable for.

"_The wha?"_

He berated himself thinking of the Time Lord Victorious. _The man who took and tormented your friends, who let his companion die on Mars and told his ward it was her responsibility. What kind of monster am I? _He thought.

"_You always made him better. But he lost you twice and-"_

"_His Rose, did she die?" _

It felt just as awful as having Rose die when he left her with his dimension duplicate to return to his TARDIS, he had to cage in all his emotions despite the agony he felt when he saw his Rose passionately kiss his human double. And why wouldn't she? He had to tell himself that this was a man that was like him in every respect except that he would age at the same time Rose would so he should be happy for her. It was empty consolation when he returned to the TARDIS alone at the end of the night having been forced to wipe Donna's mind.

"_No. She's alive in an alternate dimension living with his human duplicate."_

"_You're joking. 'S what you meant by my fantastic life. Living there with him."_

He winced sensing that this was an early prediction Lilly made for Rose's life fully believing that it would come to pass. Time surely had been rewritten at least for this Rose.

"_It took a few years. Didn't just happen overnight. You were meant to help him save the world because I knew without you, he would die and the universe would die. All realities would cease to exist." _

"_Our universe is already dead. 'M only eighteen. Didn't want to get married. Not to him."_

He swallowed at that. Maybe in time things would change and Rose would grow to trust him but he closed his eyes pondering how she could ever trust the man responsible for decimating her own dimension, eradicating everyone she ever met. How could he possibly make it up to her, do better as he claimed to balance the scales in Rose's eyes?

"_He's not so bad. When he lost his Rose, he changed, suppressed his emotions and then Sara came along. He wasn't meant to have a companion and the timing was terrible. When he declared himself Time Lord Victorious, he tried to alter time. Sara managed to stop him but there were repercussions. He didn't pop out of it like he was meant to. He cut himself off further from his emotions and well-"_

"_Got worse?"_

"_Until recently."_

It wasn't Sara's fault he didn't listen and how many times had she tried to tell him but he simply denied her, pushing her accusations aside and now…suddenly he felt a surge of sadness that he knew was coming from Sara, her thoughts muddled though he could discern her mind lingering on Christina's death and whether as a weapon, she should even be alive. _She doesn't even know what she saved my life. _His own sorrow grew in response to Sara's as he focused his mind to send her a message hoping she would understand. _I am so, so sorry. _There was little more he could say at the moment so overcome by Rose's grief and Sara's torment that his own turmoil couldn't navigate around theirs.

"_How am I s'pposed to believe him?" "He was goin' to force me to sleep. 'S that how it's going to be? In my head all the time now? What 'appens if he gets mad? I just want to go home." _

He had nearly come close to doing it again as he had rendered Sara unconscious so many times before. It almost became habitual that he found his hands lifting to Rose's temples rather then using his words to try to calm her down. She was frightened of him and rightly so as he had done little to prove to the contrary that he could be anything but this dominant and fierce person she had only barely met. He wanted to give her privacy within her own mind but her voice echoed so clearly in his.

_I'm sorry, Rose_, he began opening up her emotional wounds with his words. _I'm sorry about your mum_.

_Stop it._

_I'm so sorry about Mickey. _

_Stop!_

_I'm so, SO sorry._

Suddenly, he was hit with what he'd been trying to help her release. It wasn't as bad as before. But even as a Time Lord, it was almost too much to bear. For the next several hours the Doctor suffered his wife's anguish. He suffered only a fraction of what he knew he deserved. But what he suffered was nearly too much. When Rose finally stopped, crying herself to sleep in the attic crawl space, the Doctor was emotionally exhausted.

Her grief triggered memories in him. And now that she was asleep, now that she wouldn't feel what he felt, he let himself suffer his own grief. For the first time he finally grieved the loss of his Rose, the one who chose the meta-crisis over him. For the first time he let himself grieve the loss of Donna, his best friend. One by one all the companions and friends he'd lost came to mind. One by one he felt the hole left by each of his children, for his Gallifreyan wife, for his parents, and grandparents, for his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, for his planet, his people. Every emotion he'd been running from, every emotion he'd refuse to acknowledge, every emotion he'd hidden away and saved, so he didn't have to hurt, ran through him. It ripped apart his hearts and mind like a torrential hurricane leaving only his guilt behind amidst the devastation.

But what the Doctor didn't realize was Rose felt it all. Even in her sleep she was aware of his mind in hers. Even in her sleep she could feel him. The Doctor felt a calm come over him, like the calm after a storm. But within the calm was that sensation he instantly recognized as Rose Tyler, a warmth. She was a healing warmth spreading through his mind like a healing salve. And with her warmth came sleep. Ten couldn't hold his eyes open. He couldn't check up on the Master, or worry about what Nine was up to. His mind was too ravaged. And his hearts were too torn up. Sleep claimed him as Rose Tyler's comforting consciousness smothered the Doctors open wounds with the comfort he'd been needing all his life.

Moments seemed to pass in this tranquility when he was suddenly jarred awake by Sara's overwhelming terror entering his mind that caused him instant alarm as he pulled himself upwards, ever vigilant.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rather then use the restroom as she inferred to Nine, Sara went straight to the old room she occupied and was alleviated to see the Cup of Athelstan on her nightstand. For a moment, she touched it knowing as long as she lived she wouldn't forget Christina or the impact she had on her life. She hadn't stepped foot in this room since she nearly died from dehydration in protest from being locked inside it premises and she barely repressed a shiver of how this area haunted her as she was given to the vague remembrances of the shadows creeping along the walls coming to claim her.

_I am so, so sorry. _

The stray thought jolted Sara as well as the feeling of regret that came associated with it that echoed in her mind nearly like a residual memory. Somehow it felt more recent and the grief more tangible but at the same time it seemed to belong to someone else. She briefly considered locating Nine to ask him if he might define to her what was happening.

No. She seized the golden cup from her nightstand, dashing out of the room, heading back to the console to find it empty. Glancing around, she gave way to pacing within the confines of that area pondering her original train of thought and whether Nine truly thought and considered her a weapon. He had just previously emerged from a war where to his knowledge, he had been forced to wipe out billions of people to save the universe. The Time War was never shown in its entirety on the show and writers stipulated that they considered it a novel concept to have the Doctor be the last of his species with this sudden act of genocide.

_The Time War. _Sara thought. _I can't imagine what that was like. _

Suddenly she was surrounded by images that were utterly horrifying as she watched buildings on fire, collapsing around her as Daleks flew in from the skies. Screams surrounded her as she saw the ground littered with bodies, carcasses that putrefied the air while their flesh was seared away. Sara panicked and turned to see children running through the streets, directly through her as she watched helplessly as they were shot down to be left smoldering in the surrounding flames.

"No!" She cried out. "Stop it, stop it!" Sara clutched her head in protest but she could still see every visual aspect of the war laid out in gruesome, graphic detail. The Time Lord council unleashing weapons against their enemies and the Doctor himself arriving to put a message of 'no more' on the wall in preparation for him using 'the Moment' device. Blood was everywhere, seeping through ground, the red grass and the whole sky mirrored the violence that was occurring.

Sara couldn't breathe and blindly, she ran through the images in order to escape the torment of what she was seeing. There was a door to an under dwelling left seemingly untouched by the destruction and she seized upon it to escape the perpetual fire and violence outside. Seizing the handle, she wrenched it open, going inside, slamming the door shut behind her hoping to find a welcome respite from the nightmare she had witnessed.

Suddenly the Time War disappeared and she found herself completely bewildered to be standing in relatively normal looking hallway as she glanced out the window, she saw that night had suddenly fallen. _Wasn't it daytime before? Did I go forward in time?_ She felt her stomach clench knowing she had gotten off the TARDIS while it was only a second out of sync with time. Sara looked around perplexed attempting to discern if she could locate it's position but the machine was invisible. She had wandered outside the perimeter and she suddenly stiffened in fear as clones of the Master appeared surrounding her.

"Gotcha." The Master said, his tone laced with excitement as he seized Sara's elbow, yanking her forward. Sara shook her head frantically as he allowed himself a lingering caress down her cheek, before taking a firm grip of her neck, giving her a fervent kiss.

In utter fury, Sara bit down hard, tasting his blood in her mouth and he pulled back looking at her fiercely before dealing her a blow with the back of his hand. She glared at him, raising a hand to her cheek to ease the pain.

"Do love a woman with spirit." He murmured to her before shoving her back into the arms of two of his clones. "Bring her." He instructed. "I want an audience."

She was propelled back into the room, which contained Nine's TARDIS and was barely able to distinguish Ten's horrified expression upon seeing her return. "Don't the best things come to those who wait, Doctor?" The Master posed to him greedily, taking the cloth off the table, while weaving it dexterously through his fingers. She struggled fervently with his clones as the Master smiled in appreciation. "Oh she'll do nicely."

"We found them." A voice was issued from behind her that caused Sara to panic. Did they find the TARDIS? One minute she was there and the next she had stumbled into the open corridor and she started to inwardly curse.

"Good, just in time." The Master only looked at her triumphantly.

_Found who?_

**A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying what we have going so far and there will be more clarification coming in the next chapter. Thank you to Christy-Flare for inspiration behind an idea we are setting into motion here. Thank you for all the reviews as they do help us with new ideas.**


	8. Forbidden

"No!" Lilly began kicking at the Masters as they grabbed at her. "NO!" she shrieked when they caught her legs, and began pulling her towards the attic access. "Run! Rose, Run!"

Rose began frantically crawling through the attic space away from the clones as Lilly was pulled down through the hole in the ceiling. She could feel the hands of several copies holding her tightly. She couldn't get away. She could hardly move. After a moment more, she stopped struggling, and watched as Rose was dragged out of the closet.

"Inform him we have them," a copy gave out the order. He grinned at the girls. "Oh, what fun."

The girls were roughly pulled into the room containing Nine's TARDIS, Ten, Sara, and the Master. Sara noticed how dark it was outside. It was the middle of the night. But only moments ago when she'd transmatted to the Vinvocci ship, it had been day. Sara realized they must have jumped forward in time when Nine tried to operate Ten's TARDIS. Where was Nine?

The Master's attention shifted away from Sara. He moved quickly towards Rose, and put his hands instantly to the sides of her head. She gasped, and tried to pull away. But the copy held her securely for the Master. He closed his eyes. Rose could feel him on the outside of her mind. She could feel his cold calculating presence only a hair breath away from her. But every time he tried to penetrate her, he was repelled by the Doctor's presence. The Master couldn't hurt her. He couldn't enter her. He couldn't even touch her. She could feel him pacing back and forth like a crazed animal, trying to find a way in. But Rose was completely safe, protected by the Doctor's mind within hers.

With a shouted scream, the Master grabbed Rose by the arms, and threw her to the ground. He faced the Doctor. "She's mine!" he shouted. "She was mine." The Doctor didn't say anything. He knew better. He'd known the Master, suffered the Master for a whole year on the Valiant. And it hadn't taken him long to learn when to stay silent. The Master turned away from the Doctor, and paced across the room. He turned back to him. "Fine," he said. "Then I'll choose another." He grabbed Lilly by the arm. "Time sensitive," he said. "I always wanted to know the future."

"Why?" asked the Doctor. "Why bond at all? You know humans don't last. Why make yourself suffer?"

The Master grimaced. "I lost Lucy," he said. "Do you have any idea what that's like? To lose her. To lose my wife, my bonded wife."

"I lost Patience," answered the Doctor, naming his Gallifreyan wife. "I know what it's like. So, why bond with a human? They never last."

The Master groaned. He let go of Lilly, and began running his hands back and forth through his hair, before coming even closer to the Doctor. "To fill the void!" he answered. The Master stepped back, calming himself a little. "To fill the emptiness." He took a deep breath. "Don't you feel it, Doctor? The nothingness. It hurts."

The Doctor's features softened. He knew exactly what the Master was talking about. He'd felt the void left behind after Gallifrey was destroyed too. All those Time Lord minds buzzing in the back of his head all his lives no matter where he was in all of time and space were suddenly gone, suddenly quiet, and suddenly dead. It was excruciating. The loneliness was consuming.

"When I left you at the end of the universe, you were so far away. I could hardly sense you. So, I looked. I searched for the others, for Gallifrey. And there was nothing. Nothing because you ended them." The Master looked at the Doctor with contempt. "Six months, Doctor. Six months alone. Alone with nothing but the drums. And then I met her. Lucy. Oh, my Lucy." The Master smiled thoughtfully. "She helped fill the void." The Master paused. He suddenly looked angry. "Then she died."

"And now it's worse," said the Doctor. "The emptiness. It's worse." He understood exactly what the Master was suffering. When Patience had died so long ago, even with the comfort of the other Time Lord minds the mental suffering nearly drove the Doctor mad. He'd even left Gallifrey, running to get away from the pain. "It never stops," said the Doctor. "The pain from losing a bonded spouse never stops."

"Oh, doesn't it," countered the Master. He pulled Lilly forward. "Replacement. Not Gallifreyan, but she'll do."

"Just think," said the Doctor. "Just listen. When she dies, it'll be even worse."

The Master suddenly looked distracted. "The sound," he said. No one realized the Master had used all his copies to listen for the sound of drums. No one realized what he'd started. They'd all been too busy, too busy trying to survive, or too busy grieving.

"It's coming from above," said one of the clones. The Doctor looked puzzled. _What sound?_

"It's coming from the sky!" shouted the Master. He whirled around, still holding onto Lilly's arm. He saw a falling star streak across the sky through the enormous windows. "Get out there," he ordered his copies. "Get out there and find it!"

"Don't," said Sara. Her heart was in her throat. "Please don't. If you find it, it could cause the end of time." With all the things that had changed, Sara couldn't risk just leaving things alone. With Nine no where to be seen, and Ten the Master's prisoner, there would be no one to stop the Time Lords from destroying the universe if the Master opened the Time Lock. Their only hope was convincing the Master to stop.

He paused. The Master paused, eyes narrowing on Sara. He tipped his head to one side, studying her. He took several quick steps towards her, dragging Lilly with him. Instinctively, she tried to back away. But she only backed into the clone holding her. "What did you say?" The Master's eyes felt like they could see right through her.

_Don't_. Sara heard the word like a whisper on the wind, like an echo from far away. _Don't...him know...time sensitive._

Sara felt confused. _What was that? _she thought. It had been so quiet, she'd almost missed it.

"What. Did. You. Say?" The Master was quickly losing patience.

"Please don't go after it." Normally Sara could hold her own. Even when dealing with all that Ten had put her through, she'd never had a problem shouting at him. But somehow under the Master's glare, even her voice sounded weak. "If you do, it could cause the end of time."

The Master's face slowly began to grin, and Sara's heart sank. She was instantly afraid. But she felt something else too, something strange. It was like how she'd felt just before the Doctor healed himself, when she could feel his sorrow at what he'd done. Only now it wasn't sorrow. It was concern.

"You're time sensitive," pronounced the Master. He began to laugh, turning towards the Doctor. "Aren't you full of surprises. Two time sensitives. What are the chances of that?" He glanced at Lilly. "And one of them chalked full of energy. Sorry," he told her. "Your loss." He shoved Lilly into the arms of a copy. "Hold her." The Master picked up the bonding cloth where he'd dropped it when Rose had been brought in, and hopped back to Sara with anticipation. He reached for her hand.

"No," pleaded Sara as she started struggling to get out of the copy's hold. "Please."

"Hush." The Master put his finger to his lips, giving Sara the same telepathic command he'd used on Wilf. "Listen to your Master."

"NO!" Sara struggled harder. The Master's eyes widened with surprise.

"Oh, you're going to be fun," he commented with a smile. It had been a long time since he'd met someone whose mind was strong enough to resist his hypnotic commands. The clone tightened his hold on Sara, but it wasn't enough. Two other copies had to come help hold her.

"NO!"

The Master wrapped the cloth around her hand. He tied it to her.

"NOOO!" she shrieked.

"Let her go!" shouted Rose. She sprang from where the Master had thrown her to help Sara.

_Rose! _she heard the Doctor in her mind. The Master didn't miss a beat. He turned in perfect time, backhanding Rose across the face. She landed hard on the floor.

"Someone shut her up," ordered the Master. Before he'd finished his command, two copies had Rose. One of them covered her mouth with his hand, effectively gagging her.

"Ohh, that's better," said the copy.

The Master moved to face Lilly. He looked into her eyes just as he'd done before. "I consent and gladly give," he told her. Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"Nnnnn..." she tried to resist him. She tried to tell him no.

His smiled dropped, and he stepped closer, grabbing the sides of her head. He looked into her eyes. "I consent and gladly give," he repeated, his voice impatient.

Lilly felt the command move through her. "I consent and gladly give." She heard the words come out of her mouth.

"Better," said the Master. He turned to the Doctor. "Someone gag him. Can't have him interrupting."

The last free copy in the room quickly moved and gagged the Doctor. He didn't struggle against his chair. He only glared at the Master. Rose could feel the Doctor's worry coming through their bond. She swallowed. Rose knew exactly what Sara was about to go through. She knew what the Master's mind felt like. She knew his cold touch. She knew the almost painful sound of drums in his head. She knew Sara would suffer. She watched as the Master wrapped the other end of the cloth around his hand.

"I am the Master."

"Please," begged Sara.

"I am of the House of Oakdown."

"Don't do this."

"I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey."

Sara began to sob.

"And as is my right..."

"You have no right," she shouted.

"I lay claim to this woman as mine." He'd ignored her comment, turning his attention to Lilly.

"I consent and gladly give." Lilly hated herself for not being able to stop her own mouth.

The Master smiled. He closed his eyes, and opened his mind, reaching out towards Sara. Sara closed her eyes too. But she was closing her eyes to block out what was happening. She braced herself for the mental attack she knew was coming. She waited. She took a deep breath... and waited... and... Sara opened her eyes.

"It's not working," shouted the Master. He dropped the cloth, and grabbed Lilly by the jaw. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"I..." answered Lilly. "I consent and gladly give."

The Master grimaced, stepped back, and snapped his fingers. Lilly felt the control release. "What did you do?" he demanded again.

"Nothing," she stammered out quickly. "Nothing. I swear. It wasn't me. I..." The Master turned away. He took off the Doctor's gag. "Why didn't it work? What did you do?"

"Ah. Weeeeell," he drew out his last word. "S'pose Lilly's not her next of kin."

The Master looked at Lilly. He looked at Rose. Lilly and Rose were the last two humans in existence. Well, they were the last besides that dottering old fool tagging along with the other Doctor. But Rose was bonded to the Doctor. She no longer counted as human. She legally belonged to the Doctor's family now. So, he couldn't use her to give permission for the bonding. Even with the other human still alive, as one of the last humans Lilly should have been the closest thing to Sara's next of kin. This should have worked. He should have been bonded by now. Unless...

He stormed back over to Sara. She was trembling, trying to calm down. He grabbed the sides of her head, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. He released her, turning back to the Doctor, a look of disgust on his face.

"You've bonded with her," he accused.

"What!?" asked Sara.

"Weeeell," answered Ten.

"Don't deny it," ordered the Master. "I can smell you on her."

Sara was appalled. When had the Doctor...?

"So I did." The Doctor's answer sounded cold. He knew it was only a telepathic initiated bond like the ones used to tie newly loomed children to their parents. And he knew the bond had formed on its own due to the deep penetration he performed on Sara's mind in order to save her life, to pull her from her catatonic state. The bond was deeper, more powerful than those used for children. But the similarities were there. He could feel her tied to him just as he'd felt any of his family members. But she didn't know that. He hadn't told her anything. He hadn't explained. Sara looked at the alien with anger and distrust.

The Master growled in frustration. He inhaled, exhaling slowly. "As is required, I humbly beg permission to take your kin as my bonded wife." The Master said the words slowly, hating having to submit to the Doctor.

"No." The Doctor's answer was firm. "You do not have permission to bond with my puerile."

_You knew the Master couldn't bond with her? _The Doctor felt Rose's question. _But you were so_ _worried._

_I've never adopted a non-Gallifreyan before_, explained the Doctor. _I didn't know for sure how it would work. But she's safe now. He'd have to get another of her kin to agree. Someone closer to her or someone with more authority than me._

_Adopted, _Rose wondered.

The Master scowled at the Doctor's answer. This was no longer just about filling the void in his head. This was about beating the Doctor. This was about taking what the Doctor wanted, what was his. This was about finally winning. The Master took a gun from one of his clones, stormed over to Rose, and pointed it at her. The Doctor swallowed, instantly feeling his fear mixed with Rose's terror.

"Think of how it feels to lose a bonded wife, Doctor," he ordered. "Give consent or watch her die."

The Doctor hesitated. Rose could feel his turmoil at only the idea of losing her. She marveled at the emotions rolling off of the stranger. She could feel the Doctor starting to give in. She could feel him trying to find a way to save her. She could feel the tiniest beginnings of the grief he'd suffer if she died. He couldn't lose her. Not her. Not again. And he knew the Master. He knew he wasn't bluffing. He knew he'd kill her. The Doctor opened his mouth to give consent.

_DON'T! _Rose tried to shout aloud, but one of the copies still had his hand over her mouth. She couldn't speak. _I'd rather die, _she thought to the Doctor. _I know what she'd suffer. I've felt his mind. You can't. You can't do that to her. And I couldn't._.. He felt Rose's fear and emotion choke her thoughts. _I couldn't live knowing I'd caused that_.

_You don't know what you're asking_, the Doctor thought back. _It's not just your life at stake. Which is bad enough. You don't know what kind of torture it is to lose a bonded spouse. It's worse than._.. Rose felt his trepidation. _It's worse than dying. It's worse than losing your best friend. The emptiness. The grief. It's consuming, excruciating. And that's if you don't love them. It's like..._

_Like losing your whole world? _Rose finished for him, thinking of home. The Doctor swallowed. What kind of grief had he given her?

"Well, Doctor," demanded the Master. The Doctor looked at Sara. He saw her fear, felt her fear. He didn't look at Rose. He couldn't.

"No." The word was only a broken whisper, but his meaning was clear. He would not consent to the bonding. The Doctor closed his eyes. His bottom lip quivered uncontrollably, and tears started down his cheeks. He knew he'd just signed Rose's death warrant.

"No, please don't." It was Lilly. "Please don't hurt her." The copy holding her covered her mouth with his hand. Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Please," Sara begged. But no one gagged her.

_Thank you_. Rose's thoughts made the Doctor cry harder. It wasn't fair. He'd just got her back. Finally, finally the universe had been kind. Finally it had given him some happiness, some joy. Even if he hadn't married Rose. The joy of knowing she was alive and well, knowing she was in this universe, and he could know her, visit her when he needed to, would have been enough. But Oh, no. Not him. He wasn't allowed any happiness. He wasn't allowed to have joy. This was it. This was his reward, to suffer, to lose everyone he'd ever cared about, to lose everything every time.

"Your choice," said the Master.

The Doctor felt him raise the weapon with intent. He felt it through the terror coming from Rose. He squeezed his eyes closed even tighter, trying to block out the scene.

"Last chance." The Doctor didn't say anything. His breathing was deep and labored. He could feel Rose crying.

_I'm sorry_, she thought. _Tell the other Doctor... Tell him it's not his fault. Tell him I wouldn't have missed it for the world. _Her words cut him even deeper than he thought possible.

"Three," started the Master, "Two... One..." The Doctor clenched his jaw.

BANG! The sound of the gun echoed through the room, cutting through the whimpering pleas of Sara and Lilly. Silencing them.

The Doctor let out a guttural scream, a sound so horrific time itself shuddered around him.

"Whoa." The Master began to laugh. He laughed that maniacal laugh every bad-guy in every low budget movie laughs. But it didn't stop there. One by one each of the copies joined him.

But the Doctor cried. _Rose_.

_Doctor?_

His eyes flew open. _What!? _There she was. There was Rose. She was alive. She was ALIVE! She was obviously shaken. She was scared. But she was alive. Instantly, the Doctor's tears turned to tears of joy.

"Oh, ho ho," chuckled the Master. "You should have seen the look on your face." He laughed some more. "And that scream. Whew. Now, that was impressive." The monster continued to laugh. But the Doctor didn't care. In that moment he didn't care. All that mattered was Rose.

"For the record," said the Master, "I **was **going to kill her." He came closer to the Doctor, intentionally standing so he was blocking his view. He couldn't see Rose anymore. "But your reaction. Whew," continued the Master. "It's obvious you're the one who's bonded to her. Don't deny it. Why would I give up someone I'll be able to have soooo much more fun with on only one moment of entertainment." He gave the Doctor a look. "Years, Doctor. Years of entertainment." The Master smiled at the Doctor's discomfort. "I might not be bonded to her. But just imagine all the things you'll be able to suffer through her, all the things you'll be able to feel." He looked back over at Sara. "And don't think I'm giving up what I want."

Sara recognized the look in the Doctor's eyes. It scared her.

The Master laughed. He lifted the gun he'd fired moments ago, terrorizing the Doctor with the idea of Rose's death. He pointed it at him. "Give consent," he demanded, "or I'll regenerate you." The Master's voice was dark. "And while you're regenerating, think about how open your wife will be. Nothing to protect her mind. Nothing to stop me from touching her. She'll be open, unprotected. And with you being... indisposed, she'll technically be Sara's next of kin. I'll make her give consent." He paused to let his threat sink in. "I'll bond with Sara one way or another. The only difference will be which regeneration you'll be on."

"It doesn't work that way," said the Doctor. "You won't be able to touch her. Even if I regenerate. Rose will never give consent. Her mind will always be protected."

"That's just a theory," the Master warned. "Are you really willing to risk so much on one stupid human?"

"She's not stupid," he answered.

"Fine," the Master told him, preparing to fire his weapon.

"Wait," called out Sara. "I'll marry... I'll bond with you."

"What?" Both the Doctor and the Master stared at Sara in disbelief.

"Doctor, give consent," she told him.

"I won't."

She looked at the Master. "You just need next of kin, right?"

"Right."

"Isn't the closest relation to a person themselves?" she asked. "I'll consent."

As the Master thought about it, his smile grew. It might actually work. _Oh! What a way the beat the Doctor!_

"Sara, I forbid it," said the Doctor.

"I'm not your ward," she argued. "Neither am I a child. You don't get to tell me what to..."

"You are bonded into the royal House of Lungbarrow, my house. As head of that house, I am your sovereign, and you will obey me." Instantly, the Doctor could sense Sara's anger. Oh, she was furious. The Doctor knew he should only be able to sense strong emotion through their family-type bond. It was much less powerful than a marriage bond. If the emotion used to send them was strong enough, and if they were in relatively close proximity to each other, they could send small words or thoughts. The greater the distance between them, the more powerful the emotion needed to send the message. But right here, right now, the message was loud and clear. That was the worst possible thing the Doctor could have said. Sara's emotions were almost tangible. She was almost seething.

"Go to hell!" she shouted at the Doctor.

"Ohh, I like you," said the Master. He smiled at her.

"Promise you won't kill him," said Sara. She swallowed when she looked the Master in the eyes. "No regenerating and no killing. That's the deal."

"Sara!" the Doctor tried.

"Anything else?" asked the Master.

Oh, there were plenty of things Sara would have loved to put on that list, starting with stop being a psychopath. But she didn't want to push her luck.

"No," she answered him. "That's it."

"SARA!" The Doctor was getting really concerned now. He didn't know if Sara's idea of close kinship would override his authority as head of the family. He knew she had no idea what she was agreeing to. And he also knew if she successfully bonded with the Master, it would ruin her life. The Doctor had seen first hand what it did to Lucy. He couldn't bear the thought of that happening to one of his house's puerile. He couldn't allow it. He wouldn't. Rose had been right.

It was better to die than let that happen.

The Master walked slowly over to Sara. She swallowed as she felt the copies release her. She stood before the Master. Her insides felt like jello.

"It's a deal," he said, relishing the Doctor's obvious distress. With a shaking hand, she raised the bonding cloth towards the Master.

"I forbid it!" shouted the Doctor. "I absolutely forbid it!"

"And let you create the Valeyard!" Sara shouted back to him. She remembered Eleven's warning. If the Time Lord Victorious regenerates with nothing to pull him back, he'll regenerate into the Valeyard. Sara had hoped Rose could be the one to pull him back. But with the look she'd just seen in the Doctor's eyes, she couldn't be sure. And with the order he'd just given to obey him, she couldn't take the risk. She knew the Valeyard had already destroyed one universe, she wouldn't risk another.

"I've seen him, Doctor. I've felt him. I know him. I know what he feels like in my head. And I'm telling you," Sara inhaled a staggered breath, "no price is too high to prevent his creation."

"Don't do this. Please, Sara. I'm not him. I've changed. That won't happen now. It won't. I swear." The guilt of what being the Time Lord Victorious had done pressed down on the Doctor even more. Not only had the Time Lord Victorious brought about the creation of the Valeyard and ripped apart an entire universe, now the fear of what he had done was about to rip apart Sara's life.

_Stop her_, Rose pleaded, knowing the hell Sara was about to enter.

The Master took the offered cloth from Sara, wrapping it around his hand. He never let his eyes drop from hers. She wanted to run. She wanted to tear out of the building as fast as she could. But she knew she couldn't. She had to do this.

"What do you say we just skip to the good part," offered the Master.

Sara took in a trembling breath. She nodded. She swallowed. Where was Nine? she wondered. Sara hesitated a moment more, wishing Nine was there to fix things.

"Well?" asked the Master.

"I... I consent and gladly give."

The Master grinned. He closed his eyes, and opened his mind. Sara could feel the tendrils of his mind reaching for her. She felt icky as he began to crawl across her skin. Sara wanted to cry. She wanted to shout. She wanted to scream, to get away.

The Master sighed at the sensation. "At last," he said, preparing himself for the relief he was about to feel. The emptiness would no longer overwhelm him. Instantly, he moved to penetrate Sara's mind, to enter her core. And instantly, he was hit with a wall. He was hit with a wall so powerful, so impenetrable, he was caught of guard.

_IT. IS. FORBIDDEN! _The Doctor's voice echoed through Sara's mind.

Suddenly, the Master was hit with what felt like a baseball bat to the face. He felt his teeth crack as he bit down hard from the shock and pain. Too late the Master understood. Too late he realized. Too late he felt it. He looked over at the Doctor, recognizing what he'd done. The Doctor's eyes were closed in deep concentration. The Master realized Sara had the Doctor's name. He'd given her his name! No wonder his telepathic command to hush hadn't worked. Not only was she part of his house, adopted into his family, but also she had a Time Lord name. She was protected. The Master could not penetrate Sara's mind unless she truly wanted it. And the Doctor was using his bond with her, to remind her how much she really didn't want it. The emotion the Doctor had to be using to make the connection would have to be profound. He was using his bond and his name to create a barrier around Sara's mind. He was creating shields, powerful shields. He was exercising his right as head of her family. He was exercising his right to forbid the marriage, the bonding. Sara could no longer bond with the Master even if she wanted to. The head of the House of Lungbarrow had made his wishes quite clear. And there was no way for the Master to counter his decree.

He staggered back from Sara, dropping to his knees. The Master brought his hand up to his face, feeling the warmth of his blood dripping from his nose. He looked at the blood on his hand, almost in a daze. After a moment, he realized all his copies had dropped to their knees as well. All of them were bleeding from the nose. He vaguely understood his copies were holding neither Rose nor Lilly, and both girls were frantically trying to unfasten the Doctor.

Sara collapsed. The work the Doctor continued in her mind was draining. The Master grimaced. He quickly reached for the weapon the copy next to him had. He picked it up. It took all his concentration. But he managed. The Master aimed the weapon at Sara.

"Sara!" the Doctor gasped when he opened his eyes. They were bloodshot from the effort of what he'd done. He'd just finished shielding her. His body was shaking. She looked up.

"If I can't have her, no one will." It was the Master. Sara's eyes widened. Bang!

Nine stepped forward into the room. He was holding Wilf's gun, and had just shot the Master. When the Master dropped his gun, Nine kicked it away. His demeanor mirrored how he'd appeared on the show when he'd come after Vanstratten's Dalek in Utah. He was angry, determined, and he was defending his companion. Nine stood over the Master, chin raised, gun pointing at his head.

"And where the hell have you been?" demanded Ten. He'd nearly lost every companion under his care. All the while, Nine had been missing.

"Don't swear," ordered Wilf with a smile. He was using Ten's order against him.

"Sorry," offered Nine, lowering his weapon. But he kept his eyes locked on the Master. "Bit busy."

Both Sara and Lilly were amazed. They knew he'd fought in the war. They knew Nine had just come from the battlefield so to speak. But neither of them imagined the Doctor ever using a gun.

Nine's features finally softened. He looked over at Ten, and tossed what looked like a diamond into the air, catching it quickly. He was back to his usual self, calm, almost smiling.

Ten looked puzzled. "What is that?" he asked, recognizing his own subtle cues from the other Time Lord. Ten knew Nine wanted someone to ask.

Nine glanced at the Master with a look of regret. "Tell you later," he answered. Letting the Master know about the diamond wouldn't be wise.

"You shot me," gasped the Master in agony. He was in complete and utter disbelief.

"Yup," answered Nine. "Better you than my ward." He glanced at Sara. She was safe. He'd stopped the Master from killing her. Nine glanced at Lilly. She looked alright. He looked at Rose. He grimaced. He knew she was bonded to the Master. He should let the Master die, let him regenerate. After what he'd done to Rose, he deserved nothing less. But if he did that, if he let the Master suffer, Rose would suffer along with him. She would sense his agony, feel his death. She shouldn't have to suffer that.

Without warning, the template snapped. The immortality gate detected the Master's damage. It's fail safes kicked in and it stopped transmitting across the world. It wouldn't transmit the Master's injuries. Within minutes the time travelers were surrounded by humans again. Lilly and Rose breathed a sigh of relief. Sara looked around in amazement. She was both upset Ten had forced his will on her again, and grateful she hadn't bonded with the Master. But both Doctors looked around the room with apprehension. Ten climbed out of his chair.

"At arms!" shouted Naismith. He didn't know what had happened, but he was sure going to find out.

"Stop him!" shouted Ten, pointing behind Nine. He was pointing at the Master.

"No!" Sara shrieked.

The Master had used every ounce of his strength to pull himself to his feet. Seizing the moment. Taking advantage of the human's retransformation as the distraction it provided, he grabbed Sara, and hoisted her towards Nine's TARDIS. Massive amounts of his blood marked his path. Nine tried to go after him, but was immediately surrounded by humans with guns.

"Drop it," one of them ordered him.

He frowned, letting Wilf's gun slip from his grasp. Nine raised his hands slowly, trying to keep the white-point star he held in his hand hidden. He couldn't let the humans find it. That could be trouble. Ten and the girls followed his example. None of them, however, took their eyes off the Master as he disappeared in to the TARDIS with Sara in tow.

He shoved her onto the jump seat, and began working controls. The first thing he did was to deadlock the time ship. He held onto his side, trying to stay upright.

"It won't do any good," said Sara. "The Doctor hasn't granted you access to his TARDIS." She remembered how Nine needed Sara's help to be able to fly Ten's TARDIS. The Master laughed.

"She's an animal," he explained. "Hurt her enough, and she'll obey." He flipped one more lever before turning back to Sara. She still felt weak from whatever the Doctor had done to her. The Master looked at her, taking her all in. "She just needs a bit of power." He started towards the weakened human. "And so do I." He licked his lips.

Even with having been shot, the Master was still stronger than Sara could have imagined. He easily pulled her to her feet. He grabbed the back of her head, and forced her mouth to his. She was still too weak. Sara didn't even struggle. "Ohh." He continued his kiss. "Oh, that's... mmm...Oh... so... so good." Sara could feel the energy drain from her body. She could feel the Master pulling it from her cells. Moments before she thought she would pass out into oblivion, the Master stopped his assault. "That'll have to do for now." He knew she'd need a least a day to fully recharge. The Master laid her gently on the jump seat, caressing her as he did. He looked at her.

"You could have been my bonded wife," he said sadly. After a second's more reflection, he stood up and removed his shirt. "Still. We don't have to be bonded to be married," he added distractedly. Fear shot through her. But when he only inspected his gunshot wound, she closed her eyes in relief. When she opened them, she saw him watching the hole in his abdomen close slowly. He had some futuristic medical device in hand, pointing it at himself.

"You see? I can beat him." The Master was referencing Ten. "He may have bonded you into his house but I can still take you as my wife."

"He'll never consent." Her statement alone provided both reassurance and disgust at the same time. How could Ten not tell her any of this? At the moment she was furious. She didn't know when Ten exactly had initiated this bond to adopt her into his house because if he had told her, she would never have agreed. Was it cemented into place before or after he seemingly turned a corner?

"Where we're going, we don't need his consent." He expressed as he turned to the console, infusing it with power. The TARDIS shook violently. "Oh, she's refusing me too but she'll learn." The Master said with anticipation heading in determination to the storage room to fetch some temporal kinetic stabilizers to bypass the anti-theft protocols.

The feeling of concern threaded through her for which Sara knew she wasn't the source and she was disconcerted once again to sense thoughts in her mind that weren't her own.

_Isomorphic…system…black switches…under left console._

It was only a few feet away and she felt tingling in her arms and legs. Could she reach it? At the moment she didn't have any other choice but to try. She managed to squirm out of the chair, collapsing onto the floor as she used her hands to push the dead weight of her body to the position where he indicated. It was painful, as the sensation of electric shocks racked her entire system but she pulled herself just underneath the console, raising one tentative hand, she turned both the switches.

Instantly, she felt the presence of the TARDIS in the back of her mind change becoming infinitely saddened and Sara became aware of an impending loss. The TARDIS seemed to be speaking with her and to her horror she realized the conscience was telling her good-bye.

_No…you didn't… _She strained to get those words out to Ten in her anger and agony. How could he do this to Nine's TARDIS?

_Had too…already dying. _Then she felt his grief at the decision knowing the Master had left him with no other choice. Sara had never witnessed the TARDIS really get destroyed remembering only an episode when Eleven had detonated his machine in a dream with Amy and Rory.

She pushed herself away, collapsing near the door as the Master reemerged. "Going somewhere?" He challenged as he set to work on the console as the TARDIS continued to shudder beneath their feet. When the controls suddenly electrified beneath his fingers he drew his hand back, gazing at Sara in horror. "What did you do?"

She shook her head in response. Sara didn't know what she had done until it was too late but she saw the Master was seething as he looked upon Sara with absolute rage.

"You've killed her, you-"

He was interrupted as a series of explosions took out the console and the entire front of the TARDIS flew apart. The sudden detonation seared Sara's vision before she plummeted into unconsciousness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Who are you?" Naismith demanded circling the group. "And why are you in my home."

"Oh, weeelll, routine security inspection." Ten improvised as Nine worked to conceal the diamond under the sleeve of his coat. He looked at his TARDIS frantically knowing full well the implications to the universe if the Master even managed one trip with his ward. The paradoxes the Master could create alone having a time sensitive at his side were staggering.

Still Nine had to wonder why the Master didn't try to take Rose instead of Sara since the Master had bonded with her. He glanced at his companion who was nervously looking at Ten. _What happened? _ His counterpart was primarily focused on the TARDIS in front of him but then glanced back at Nine, raising his eyebrows.

Nine sighed heavily and exchanged a look of confirmation with Ten hardly managing to conceal his grief. He knew that his TARDIS was dying and it was simply a matter of time but having to destroy her himself…no, having a human trigger a sequence to kill her would weigh heavily on his conscience. _'S has to be done. _He couldn't let the Master escape with Sara and a dying TARDIS. It simply was necessary, his choosing when the inevitable would occur.

"I hire my own security personally." Naismith countered glancing at the TARDIS. "What is this doing in my home?"

No one answered and Naismith tried the door, finding it locked. Signaling to his guards, he gave an order. "Search them." One moment he saw the terrifying face of a man who seemed to invade his entire mind and the next, several hours seemed to have passed and night had fallen. He determined that these strangers had something to do with it.

They all protested at once as the guards swept through them checking for weapons and other devices on their person. "Girls are clean." The guard said. "But those two had these." Tossing the sonic screwdrivers on the table. "And he had this."

Lilly gasped seeing the diamond extended out to Naismith already knowing precisely what it was.

"Pretty interesting find. Wouldn't you say?" He asked them.

"It's nothing." Lilly tried. "Just a fake we were carrying around to impress. Totally worthless."

Ten glanced at her, knowing by her very expression that she knew what the diamond was and that it terrified her. At the moment, his thoughts were a bit preoccupied in establishing communication with Sara with specific instructions.

_Isomorphic…system…black switches…under left console._

He could feel her fear, her anger and also her pain and he was overwhelmed with concern. The path of the detonations should leave her relatively unharmed but she was already weakened by the intense work he had to do in her mind to prevent the Master from bonding with her. _Why didn't she trust me?_

_You're not serious? _Rose looked at him. _You locked her in one room for how long? _Rose glanced at Nine. _Doctor I know wouldn't have done that. Would have helped her-_ Rose's thoughts were cut off she started to see images flash by in her mind that she knew was coming straight from Ten. It was a man wearing a bow tie confronting Ten aggressively and then she saw…herself.

Rose could see the horror which mimicked her own as she saw a woman beg for death from Sara who held a weapon in her hand, telling her she needed to die but Sara shook her head, lowering the gun she held. The woman rushed her and the gun went off. She watched Sara run in terror from Ten, swimming through freezing cold temperatures in a lake only to emerge to have Ten wrestle her to the ground and force his way into her mind, putting her to sleep.

Then she saw him dragging Sara inside her room. _'You'd better get used to it. This will be your home for the next sixty years.' _

Her double spoke. '_No, my Doctor would never do that. My Doctor would help her. He'd show mercy and rescue her.'_

'_Rose' _The image of Ten tried to say.

'_No, you let her go! You let her go right now!'_

'_No.'_

Rose let out a choked gasp at what she had seen. What she had said must have triggered the memories and she shook her head frantically as Ten stared at her, his guilt pervasive. _Why'd you lock her in her room like that? _Rose wanted to know. Would the same thing happen to her?

_She tried to run. I was stupid. She stopped me from breaking a fixed point in time. _Ten didn't sugarcoat it and he became overwhelmed with his own sorrow for what he had done. He would try to make it right to both of them now that he formally declared Rose as his wife and Sara as his bonded puerile, he would do what was necessary to redeem himself in front of his new family.

Rose had considered when she witnessed Sara's latest suicide attempt that the Doctor had locked her up for her own safety but upon seeing those very images, she only realized how desperate the other girl must have been. _Will he lock me up like that too if I try to run?_

_Rose, no, I would never do that again!_

She glared at Ten furiously. _That was private! _

Ten looked down knowing Rose had a lot to learn about guarding her own thoughts. He could sense a reply from Sara as he felt her anger. _No…you didn't.._

She was already connected to one TARDIS and she would feel the upcoming demise of another from the sentience itself.

He closed his eyes to focus. _Had to…already dying. _It was meager consolation and he already felt his own despair at the loss of this TARDIS that wasn't his own.

"There's a device attached to the Gate sir. Perfect match for the diamond. Might be an energy source." One of the tech's observed.

"It isn't!" Lilly insisted. "I promise you it isn't!" She tried to break free from the guards but they held her back. Naismith found himself agreeing with the lab tech and concluded that somehow these people had infiltrated his mansion in order to use the Gate for themselves with their own energy source they had procured..

Of course he promised immortality for his daughter but if the diamond offered more then just eternal life for her, why wouldn't he take it?

"Just stop." Nine advised. "Don't want the Gate. The diamond won't help you." He insisted.

"You can't let him…" Lilly said as Ten turned to her.

"What is it?" He asked. "What's the diamond."

"It's from you planet." She whispered. "And it will break the time lock."

Horror gripped Ten as Naismith clutched the diamond standing right in front of the device. "A white point star." He muttered.

Nine tried to spring forward through the guards that surrounded them but the masses held them back into place as Naismith inserted the diamond into the device.

The machine lit up as one of the techs inside the radiation booth operated the switches to infuse it with nuclear power. Naismith started to grin in greedy expectation seeing the results of his curiosity begin to pay off as the Gate reacted with currents of energy in response to the diamond.

The room was suddenly rocked by an explosion and Lilly witnessed in horror as the very front of Nine's TARDIS blew completely off ramming itself against the exterior, throwing everyone completely off their feet. Pieces of wood, metal and flying debris were going every which direction and various lab stations burst into flames. The fire alarm activated as ceiling sprinklers activated as everyone started to cough.

"Shut down." Naismith ordered. "Evacuate." He didn't know what happened but he had nuclear equipment and various other devices that could burn down his entire house if exposed to an open flame. He couldn't risk his life on a mere whim and seizing his daughter's arm, they stumbled out with amidst the chaos. Through the smoke and fire he couldn't tell one person from another but everyone was in a desperate panic to escape what might be a grave disaster.

Ten had immediately gone into the broken TARDIS and a moment later reappeared carrying Sara out in his arms. Nine was at the Gate trying to find a way to deactivate the crystal.

Lilly and Rose were coughing, trying to see through the bedlam of what was taking place as Lilly worried watching the Doctor. _Can Nine deactivate the diamond? _

He was struggling with it, trying to rework the settings but it seemed cemented in its location.

Ten seized his sonic screwdriver off the table swiftly running a diagnostic on Sara and Rose felt his overwhelming concern and desperation directed to his ward. _He really does care about her._

Ten took a swift intake of air and decided not to respond to Rose regarding her stray thought. She would only get angry at him for disregarding her lack of privacy. He glanced from his diagnostic to Sara wishing he could assure them both how much he did care for Sara. That it was no idle thing to give her his name. Sara had risked everything to save him and was even willing to suffer through bonding to the Master to ensure his survival.

'_S all right, yeah?_

He glanced over at Rose. _Concussion and some burns. Could be worse._

"Can you get it out?" Lilly asked Nine.

"Working on it." Nine replied. "_'_S goin' to make it?" He asked Ten. The death of his TARDIS was eating away at his very being and he didn't want it to have to be in vain.

Ten started to respond.

"She'd better be."

Lilly gasped as the Master staggered out. "I will still have her as my wife." He had a gun in his hand that had been tossed aside from one of the guards.

"You're wife." Nine repeated looking at the Master in disgust. "Already forced that on Rose. Why would you-"

"Ohh you don't know?" The Master was almost gleeful as Lilly looked at him feeling queasy. His injuries were extensive, the burns nearly seeping and she thought she could see bone protruding from his skin. "Other Doctor doesn't play fair. Likes to cheat. He stole her from me before I could cement the union."

This time Nine looked at Ten in horror. "You did what?!" He thundered.

"It was necc-"

"To take advantage of my companion? Thought this through haven't you?" Nine accused.

"No!" Ten declared. "You weren't available. All I could do was transfer it and you were on the Vinvocci ship."

"Just the moment you were looking for."

"No, Ten was right." Lilly started to say. "I was there and it was either him or the Master-"

"'S won't be right with this." Nine threw up his hands. "She's only eighteen. A child you pounced on." He glared at Ten with disdain.

"Ohh the look on your faces. The family picnics we'll have."

"I've already forbidden you from bonding with her." Ten declared, pulling Sara towards him protectively who still remained unconscious.

"Doesn't mean we can't get married." The Master said.

"Why!?" Nine demanded. "What is the point? Can't bond with her. Won't fill that emptiness."

"It's about winning!" The Master declared. "It's about having something that is mine." He glanced at Sara. "A time sensitive with energy to boot. Talk about two for the price of one. The pain you'll feel from everything I intend to do with her." He addressed Ten. How much can one human suffer? How do you think you'll cope hearing her begging for mercy with a bonded puerile?"

Ten shook his head in refusal, glancing down at Sara. "It won't ever happen." He told him. "I won't let you take her."

The Gate was becoming brighter as and distantly, they could see figures start to emerge and Lilly knew her warning didn't stop the time lock from being broken. The other Time Lords were advancing on them.

"If you don't agree to your union, the Lord President might seeing as he rules over all the houses of Gallifrey. So much more authority, wouldn't you say Doctor?"

"He'll never help you." Lilly declared.

"Oh my sweet Lilly, don't worry, I have a special place in my heart reserved for you."

"You're blinking mad!" Rose exclaimed.

"Hush now. They approach."

_They. _Lilly thought. She felt a flash of fear as the figures in the light drew closer. They distracted the Master and slowly she moved forward picking up another scattered gun off the floor. Her palms were sweaty as she struggled to disengage the safety and initially pointed it at the Master.

"Lilly!' Nine exclaimed. "Give me the gun."

"Oh no, this will be interesting. Perhaps you want me to reconsider." The Master implied as Lilly looked at him in disgust.

"You can't." Ten said. "No other humans available to give consent."

Rose glanced around, noticing that Wilfred in the chaos had disappeared. Where did the older man go?

"After what you did to Rose…" Lilly felt overwhelmed by her sudden hatred towards the Master. Was it only a few weeks ago that Nine had advised her not to feel contempt when she expressed her abhorrence towards the Gelth? So much had changed since then. "What you were going to do to Sara."

"Ohh, so much passion, so much hate. Didn't think you had it in you."

'_Oh you hated him. So much anger. So much fear.' _The conversation from the psychic, Gwyneth was replaying in her mind and Lilly remembered how she had kicked Mr. Bedford from Torchwood when Jack had saved her. He had tormented her and she had been relieved to see him dead. Was that really so wrong?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rassilon striding forward with the other Time Lords. "My Lord Doctor. My Lord Master. We are gathered for the end." He was looking upon the scene with apparent dismay.

"Yes, I saved you." The Master pronounced to them. "Don't forget that."

"The approach begins." Rassilon commanded.

"The approach of what?"

"Didn't you listen to them?" Ten asked indicating to Lilly and Sara. "They're not just bringing back the species. It's Gallifrey. Right here. Right now."

Lilly knew there was something she had to destroy that would send the Time Lords back for good. She gazed at the Gate perplexed, trying to remember what it was, all the while keeping her gun pointed at the Master who still firmly had his.

"Lilly-" Nine tried.

"No!" She protested. "You don't know what he's done. He forced his way into my head three times. Made me consent to give up Rose and Sara in marriage. He killed hundreds of people and left Lucy Saxon to rot in prison all alone. She died to prevent his return and then I saw it. He was eating people, all the bodies were all over the ground."

The earth was rocking beneath their feet as Lilly tried to keep herself firmly planted on the ground.

"You're better then this, Lilly." Nine told her.

"And you're not?" Lilly demanded reminding him how she watched him shoot the Master. He was momentarily silent.

"Oh this is fantastic." The Master said. "The Time Lords restored."

"You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the time-lock's broken, then everything's coming through, not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-Have-Been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres, the War turning to hell. And that's what you opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending!" Ten exclaimed.

"My kind of world." The Master marveled.

"Just listen cause even the Time Lords can't survive that!"

"The Final Sanction." Lilly muttered.

"We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue, until it rips the time vortex apart." Rassilon stated.

The Master looked at them astounded. "That's suicide."

"We will ascend to become creatures of pure consciousness alone, free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be." Rassilon claimed.

The Master looked at his ravaged body, his breathing had become staggered and painful, the emptiness of losing Rose was threatening to consume him. If he was free of this body, he would no longer have to feel that pain.

"You see now? That's what they were planning in the final days of the war. I had to stop them." Ten explained glaring at Rassilon.

"Then take me with you, Lord President. Let me ascend into glory." The Master slowly knelt at Rassilon's feet who only looked at him in disgust.

"You are diseased. Albeit, a disease of our own making. No more."

Lilly, weapon still in hand looked swiftly between Rassilon and the Master as she aimed the gun at the President.

"Exactly, it's not just me." The Master crowed. "It's him. He's the link. Kill him!"

"A human." Rassilon's voice was dripping with condensation. "The final act of your miserable little life will be murder. But which one of us?"

Lilly could hardly breathe feeling frozen by his accusation. Could she really take a life by her own hand? She had never held a gun before but she never thought she could feel so much contempt like this.

Meanwhile, Sara was slowly rousing to consciousness in Ten's arms. She groaned, feeling the pain of a violent headache splitting across her temple as she struggled to sit up. "What-Where am I? The TARDIS? I need-" Her vision blurred as she took in her surroundings. "Lilly?" She asked uncertainly. In the distance, since everyone was focused on Lilly, she also saw Wilfred heading directly into the radiation booth to release a technician trapped inside. "No!" She exclaimed trying to move forward to intercede only to have Ten wrap his arms around hers.

"No!" Sara cried out. "Let me go." She protested.

Lilly glanced back at Sara momentarily distracted by her sudden outburst when Nine lunged forward, grabbing her arm, yanking the weapon from her grasp and pushing her to the floor.

"Get down." He commanded and the Master immediately dove out of the way as Nine took careful aim, shooting the device circuit board where the diamond was housed.

"'S broken." He told Rassilon, glaring fiercely at him. "Back to the Time War. Back to hell." Nine stated unequivocally.

He suddenly saw the woman at Rassilon's side who was the visionary and a part of him froze in remembrance as she seemed to look at both Nine and Ten sadly. She was making her final farewell to them and even though this wasn't Nine's dimension, her mere gaze was enough to comfort and fill him with grief.

Nine knew he couldn't save her, she was part of the time lock and he exchanged a sorrowful glance back with Ten who was struggling to contain his temperamental companion.

"You'll die with me, Doctor." Rassilon threatened.

"No!" Lilly cried out.

"Get out of the way." The Master cried out in anger and Nine pulled Lilly backwards.

He shot Rassilon squarely in the chest while moving forward. "You did this to me! All my life! " He punctuated his next shout with bullets. "One! Two! Three! Four!" He ran forward in utter rage, launching himself on Rassilon, his hands around his neck, choking him viciously.

Lilly watched as all of them within the pull of the link, were pulled back through the Gate, started to recede in the distance and then disappear. She was shaking on the ground and could still almost feel the weight of the gun in her hands, which made her sick to her stomach. Lilly had come so close to pulling the trigger before Nine wrenched it away and she wondered what kind of person did that made her while her mind drifted to Gwyneth's accusations. _'You shot that man.' _

'_I didn't shoot him.' _Lilly had protested at the time.

But how close had she come? Was this what Gwyneth had been speaking of all along? Would she have killed one of the Time Lords by her own hand right here making her a murderer? Bile started to encroach in her throat at the very notion and she could scarcely breathe. Wanting desperately to escape the room with the smell of burned flesh still permeating the air, she propelled herself to her feet and fled down the hallway.

"Lilly!" Nine exclaimed in concern, immediately going in pursuit of his ward.

Ten finally relaxed his grip on Sara feeling certain that Rassilon was no longer a threat as she pulled herself away looking at him with a measure of disgust. "You bonded with me?" She exclaimed. "You didn't even ask!" She started to sputter in fury.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She demanded. "Were you just hoping I would never find out? How could you-"

"To save your life." Ten said quietly. "It happened when I broke you free out of your own mind."

"Then undo it." She demanded vehemently.

Ten sighed. Similar to the marriage bond, once a familial bond had been struck and a person declared part of his house, it couldn't be undone. Even if he were able to do it, he would refuse. Sara was as much a part of him as he was a part of her whether she refused to admit it or not.

"No." He stated adamantly. "Even if I could, I wouldn't do it." It was better she heard the truth now. "I promised myself I would protect you after-" For a moment he couldn't speak remembering how helpless he felt in her mind when she was caught in her own perpetual hell. "I won't let you suffer again." He finally said.

Oh, she was seething. Fury was coming off of her in waves but Ten could endure that because he knew the measures he took before kept her safe from the Master and there was no way he was relinquishing his adoptive claim on Sara now if it meant keeping her protected.

Suddenly four distinct knocks echoed throughout the room and they turned to see Wilfred who was currently trapped in the radiation booth. Sara cringed remembering how she desperately tried to stop Wilfred earlier but Ten had held her back and now she was grief stricken as she ran towards the radiation booth with Ten right behind her.

"Could you let me out?" Wilf asked.

Sara glanced at Ten. "He left the nuclear bolt running didn't he?" She asked remembering the scene to vividly from the show.

Rose headed over to where Sara and Ten were standing.

"That sounds bad, doesn't it?" Wilf asked.

"No 'cause all the excess radiation gets flooded into there. Vinvocci glass contains it. All 500,000 rads about to flood that thing." Tex explained.

"Oh, you better let me out then." Wilf let out a chuckle.

"But it's gone critical." Ten said. "Even the sonic would set it off and it would flood the entire room."

Wilf glanced at them all.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Sure." Ten whispered.

"Look, just leave me." Wilf protested.

They started to argue as Sara's eyes widened knowing what was supposed to happen next. How could Sara be certain that Ten wouldn't turn into the Valeyard in the next regeneration. It was her ultimate fear and something she had long since been fighting against for weeks. She remembered how he seized the chair out of her hands and the malevolent gaze right before he pitched her into the wall.

Ten was shouting at Wilfred for going in the contraption and being the one to wait for him all this time but Sara knew. _He wasn't waiting for him, he was waiting for me. _Her visits from the Ood, the woman and Eleven were all making sense now advising her of what she must do, insisting that she was part of the prophecy. This was why. It made sense and at least her death would have meaning. She would no longer be a threat as a weapon that could be used by a species against this universe. Sara could finally do something right for a change in the midst of all these failures and with that goal in mind, she dashed towards the empty radiation booth.

She was nearly inside when arms seized her, yanking her backwards. Ten had felt the sudden surge of emotions going through him radiating from Sara and managed to grab her just in time before she could get to the button that would have locked her inside. "I felt that coming, Sara." He told her. "This is my responsibility."

"No!" Sara protested. "It's supposed to be me. I saw the Ood after Mars when you didn't and now I know why! You can't-!"

She was fighting Ten's hold in desperation as he pulled her towards him, pinning her arms to her side as he raised one hand to her temple. Sara's eyes widened, struggling against him fiercely, knowing he intended to put her to sleep. Both were too distracted to see Rose run right behind him into the radiation booth, slamming her hand down on the button, shutting the door.

Wilf looked horrified as he tried to work the controls to release Rose but sparks flew out from the cables and he realizing they short-circuited. "The controls have burned out. Can't get the door open!" Ten released Sara, heading straight to the radiation booth where Rose was contained inside.

_Rose NO! _It was a telepathic scream that vibrated through them both but Rose shook her head frantically. She didn't want to chance his demise and have the same Valeyard that tore apart her universe, tear apart this one. She saw those images in his mind and they frightened her and she knew by his very thoughts that he intended to take Wilf's place in the cage.

_I'm sorry. If there is the chance Sara is right…saw what he did to my universe. Can't let it happen again. _

Ten pounded on the glass while Sara collapsed to her knees right in front. "It should have been me!" She cried out as Wilfred stumbled to her side.

"You have to stop her. You can, can't you?" He asked Ten.

Ten shook his head unable to speak. He couldn't override the controls and flooding the room would kill everyone there.

"You should have left me there!" Wilfred exclaimed.

_Rose, why? I wouldn't have become him. I promised. I…._

The radiation vented through the chamber and Rose crumbled to the floor in pain as Ten collapsed beside her right outside, holding his palm to the glass.

_I love you. _Ten expressed with all the emotion and adoration, his feelings made evident through their bond. The emptiness he dreaded at her impending loss was threatening to consume him as tears came to his eyes and Rose managed to look up at him, offering a brief smile. _I know._

_This is my fault. _Sara thought. _All my fault. It should have been me._

The door finally opened as Ten carefully removed Rose from the confines of the booth, while Sara moved to Rose's side clutching her hand.

"'S all right." Rose whispered. "Maybe I'll get to see Mum, Mickey, meet my Dad…" Her voice seemed to fade as Sara thought of Christina's last words and that 'someplace' she mentioned where she told Sara she would say 'hello' to her family for her. Tears poured out of her eyes and she could feel Ten's overwhelming grief that came in undulating waves. It was so overwhelming, that Sara could hardly differentiate her own agony from that of his. _Oh God. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this. _She thought desperately. Maybe she should have listened to what Ten was saying and paid only the slightest bit of attention as she stubbornly asserting her will against his during the attempt at bonding with the Master. Maybe he was only trying to protect her the only way he knew how and was struggling to return to the Doctor he was before she had marred his timeline. He could have been trying to make it right by her but Sara had been so stubborn and betrayed, she wouldn't listen. Now she could only feel his agony at the impending loss of Rose and Ten's pain was rapidly becoming hers.

She closed her eyes feeling overwhelmed by empathy for them both. _I'm so sorry. _And she was. If she could fix this somehow, she would.

Suddenly, she was struck hard by dizziness that nearly caused her to fall forward and she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to see herself covered with a diffuse golden light. Her vision seemed to blur as the light moved slowly from her skin, transferring the vivid particles in the air, encasing Rose fully in a halo of energy and illumination. _I'm hallucinating. Seeing things. The explosion from the TARDIS. My head. _

The light dissipated sinking into Rose's skin as Sara felt everything around her almost distort.

"Wha'-" Rose paused sitting up looking down at her arms and legs. All her radiation burns had vanished and the pressure on her lungs had disappeared. "What happened?"

_Rose! _Ten cried out in her mind as he held her tightly.

_Doctor, what- _They both paused to look at Sara who looked back at them mystified, her eyes becoming increasingly unfocused. Sara glanced at Rose and then to Ten in her confusion as they stared back at her. _How is she alive? _Then she remembered how Ten seemed to heal himself in the derelict fields. "Did you-," Her vision was starting to darken. "Did you do that?" She asked him looking at Rose. Ten started to respond but his words were muffled in her ears as Sara's body gave way and she fell into oblivion.

**A/N: Quick next chapter so hope you guys all enjoy. Let us know what you think. Thank you for all the reviews. They are exceedingly helpful. Oh and in case anyone was curious, puerile essentially is an older term of or referring to a child.**


	9. Confessions of a Time Lord

"Lilly!"

She could hear Nine calling for her, but she didn't care. She needed to get away. She couldn't believe what she'd almost done. And what was worse, she wasn't sure she wouldn't do it again. With that thought Lilly stopped running, bent over a bush in the Naismith garden, and vomited.

"Easy." Lilly felt Nine's cool fingers brush over her cheeks to pull her hair out of the way as her body convulsed.

"I almost..." She was hit by another wave of nausea. "I could have..." "Easy," Nine repeated as his ward continued to purge.

After several long minutes Lilly's body started to calm. She drew in a shaky breath as Nine handed her a moist towelette for her mouth. Where did he get that from?

"You all right?" he asked.

Lilly started nodding, but ended up shaking her head instead. She wasn't all right. Not by a long shot. But she wasn't panicking anymore. Nine pulled her in for a hug. Just then a military helicopter flew through the night sky at unreal speeds. "Might want to get back to the others," he said, looking at the sky.

_The others! _"Oh, my gosh! Ten!" Her features showed her fear when she remembered what was about to happen.

"Ten?"

"The other Doctor."

"You call him ten?"

"We call him ten and you nine, but..."

"We?"

"Sara and I."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Look." Lilly tried to stop him from asking anymore questions. "It doesn't matter. If we don't stop him, he won't be ten anymore, he'll regenerate into eleven."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "The Valeyard was..."

"C'mon!" Nine grabbed Lilly's hand, and pulled her into a run. They could hear sirens approaching in the distance.

xxxxxxxx

"What's happening?" asked Nine as they ran back into the laboratory.

Ten was kneeling down holding Rose for all she was worth, while she politely patted his back. It looked like Wilf had just caught Sara from collapsing to the ground.

Lilly looked at Wilf, glancing at the powered down immortality gate. "It's too late," she said. "He's already saved Wilf. He'll regenerate."

Ten looked up at Lilly. "No. I'm fine. Rose. She... she took my place." He shook his head. "How do you do that? How do you just... know things?"

Nine was upset. "How do you mean, 'took your place?'"

"No." Lilly started. "No no no no."

"Doctor?" It was Wilf.

"She's fine," explained Ten. "Rose is fine." Rose pulled away from Ten, and he released his grip. The two of them began to stand up.

"How?" asked Lilly. "Was it Bad Wolf?"

"Bad Wolf?" repeated Nine.

"It was Sara. She healed her."

_Healed her? _Lilly turned angrily toward Rose. "What were you thinking! You could have died."

"I know about the Valeyard," answered Rose. "'M not riskin' him destroying another universe."

"Oh, Rose," responded Nine. Somehow she'd found out what happened to their universe. He'd been honestly thinking about not telling her. If she didn't know, she wouldn't have to grieve. She wouldn't have to suffer. But now... now she knew. She'd suffer and grieve every bit as much as he would. Ten put his hands in his pockets, and looked at the floor.

"Doctor," Wilf tried again.

Nine gave Rose a quick hug. Ten raised his chin slightly, and swallowed, his jaw instantly tight. Lilly ran her hands over her face, and tried to calm down. The sirens in the background were getting louder.

"Rose, losing you is what created the Valeyard in the first place." Nine and Rose stared at Lilly, but Ten's eyes were only on his wife. He could recognize the truth in Lilly's words. He'd cut himself off from his feelings for more than two centuries to avoid the torment from having lost her, his first Rose. Cutting off his feelings after losing her had brought about the Time Lord Victorious. Regenerating with that need to control, and being cut off from emotion, brought about the Valeyard, a creature with no feelings, no empathy, and no regard for consequences. Would losing this Rose, his wife, bring about the Valeyard in the future?

_No, _he told himself. _I won't let that happen. _He knew he'd never be the Time Lord Victorious again. Now that he truly understood there were limits to what he could do, what he could control, he would never cross that line. And even though losing Rose would eventually rip him apart, he wouldn't cut off those feelings. He'd suffer. He'd suffer for the rest of his lives when she was gone. But he would never hide from that suffering. After all that he'd done, he deserved it.

"DOCTOR!" Wilf finally shouted.

"What!" Both Doctor's responded.

"I... I don't think she's breathing."

Ten was at Sara's side in a flash, followed quickly by Nine.

"That's not right," responded Ten. "I can still feel her. In my head. I can still feel her. Like she's asleep or... or..." He checked for a pulse. "Find a sonic screwdriver!" he shouted, taking Sara from Wilf and laying her on the ground. Immediately, Ten began CPR, while Nine and the others raced around trying to find where Naismith put the sonic devices.

"C'mon," said Ten to Sara between breathing into her mouth. "Don't do this to me." Puff. "Not now." Puff. "I need you." Puff. "We need you."

"Found it!" called out Nine, holding both screwdrivers.

"Bring the TARDIS," ordered Ten. He knew his TARDIS was a moment out of sync. He could feel it. He also knew using his sonic screwdriver would be the quickest way to pull her back to them.

"You'd better," responded Nine. "Doesn't fly right with me. Could miss the mark, an' show up late."

The sound of wheezing filled the room, and the TARDIS appeared, enveloping what was left of Nine's dead time capsule. The door opened. "C'mon!" shouted a second Ten from inside.

Lilly gasped. "You crossed your own time line!"

"Yup," said the second Ten, popping the P.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is!" shouted the original Ten, instantly swooping Sara into his arms and handing her off to his future self.

"Of course I know how dangerous..." Ten started to answer his own question, rambling as he did.

"Paradox so big it could rip a hole in the universe," answered the new Ten.

"So move it!" shouted Nine, following the second Ten into the future TARDIS.

"C'mon." The original Ten held his hand out for Rose.

She hesitated. "I..." Rose shook her head, instantly feeling the hurt Ten felt at her rejection. "I'll see you in a minute, yeah?"

Ten nodded, frowning slightly. "Yeah." He turned and ran towards his TARDIS, while Rose followed after Nine. It felt strange having both the present and future Doctors in her mind. Their emotions echoed and bounced off each other. At first there had only been hurt coming from the future Ten, but after she'd declined his offered hand, the same hurt was coming from both of them. After making it several feet down one of the corridors, Rose stopped, closed her eyes, and steadied herself.

_Are you all right? _The present and future Doctor's thoughts were laced with concern.

'_S two of ya_, thought Rose. '_S too much, yeah?_

Instantly, she felt the present Doctor try to pull back

_Sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry. Just hang on, all right? _Both Doctors were thinking the same thing, but slightly out of sync with each other. She could feel their worry for Sara. If Rose had been Gallifreyan, the experience of having a present and future version of her spouse so close would have been fine, pleasant even. To have two minds so closely connected with hers would have been a rare joy. But Rose wasn't Gallifreyan. She was human, and wasn't used to telepathy. The Doctor knew with time eventually she might come to enjoy such close mental touches. But now, it was too new, too overwhelming.

Rose felt the present Doctor slip away from her mind, leaving only the future Doctor there. The present Doctor had just dematerialized his TARDIS. For a minute she felt strangely alone, empty. She missed him. But after another minute, the lonely sensation was gone.

xxxxxxxx

Lilly stood just outside the TARDIS looking around what was left of the Naismith Mansion, taking it all in. No one had noticed she hadn't followed them into the TARDIS. _Maybe_, she thought. Maybe she should just slip away. With both Doctors preoccupied trying to save Sara, she could disappear. The Torchwood here had long been disbanded. They wouldn't be looking for her. It wasn't her home universe, but at least she could live a normal life. No more Time Lords. No more aliens. No more trouble. Well, maybe. She'd still have to stay away from that rift in Cardiff just to be safe. What if the Doctor tried looking for her?

Well, they'd already messed up the time lines pretty severely. For starters there was no Eleven. There wouldn't be any wedding with River Song. The Doctor was married to Rose. But then again, did there have to be a wedding with River? River's life was a paradox. If the Doctor didn't survive The Library, then River would never have been born. She had to die in order to live. But the only piece of information she gave him at The Library was that she knew his name.

_I know his name_, thought Lilly. _And I'm not married to him_. So, what they'd changed might not cause a paradox. What about other paradoxes? What about creating other **events**? She thought about how her running off during the gelth invasion had changed events. The Doctor had been too busy running after her instead of dealing with the gelth. And just now, when she'd run into the Naismith gardens, Nine had come after her again. _Boeman was right, _she knew_. He's never going to let me go_. He still thought she was dangerous. And even though they were friends, the safety of the universe came first. Did it matter what Nine did in this universe?

Would Nine be willing to stay on Earth? What about Rose? Would he be willing to leave Rose with Ten? Would Ten be willing to travel without Rose? _Not likely_, thought Lilly. After everything that happened, Nine would probably want to babysit Ten more than he did her. And there was no way Ten was going anywhere without his wife. Lilly had seen the way he looked at her. She sighed. There was no way out of this. If she was going to go, if she was going to get away, now would be the perfect time to do it. When the Doctors put the TARDIS into the vortex, they probably wouldn't even realize she wasn't on board. She'd have a good head start. With any luck, she'd be free. Lilly took a step away from the TARDIS.

_But what about Sara? _Lilly closed her eyes. _She's probably already dead_, she thought, trying not to get emotional. _And if I stay, I'll end up just like her_. She wiped her hands over her face, preparing to walk away. _But what if she's not? _Her inner voice called out_. What if Sara makes it? If I leave, she'll be all alone. She'd never do that to you, _she told herself. And what about Rose? She was going through a rough time right now. She needed someone, someone human. And if Sara died, Rose wouldn't have anyone.

_But what about me? _thought Lilly. _What's best for me? _If she stayed, maybe eventually the Doctors would believe the truth. Maybe they'd find her a way home. If she left now, she'd be stuck here. She'd be giving up on ever seeing her family again.

Lilly swallowed. She couldn't leave right now, not yet. She knew she needed to give the Doctor more time to discover she was from another universe. She needed to give him more time to find her a way home. She needed to be there for Rose, at least until she understood more about Ten. Besides, if Sara survived, she needed to give her the option to come with. Maybe Sara would be happy to join Lilly in her dimension. At least there, there were no aliens, and 'Doctor Who' was only a TV show. It would be more like her own universe.

She wasn't usually the kind of person to do things spur of the moment anyway. She was a planner. Lilly preferred to make sure everything was in order before proceeding. She needed money. She'd need a place to stay, a change of clothes, a better escape plan than just running. Yes. Lilly would leave. Whether it was because the Doctor finally found her a way home, or because going home was no longer an option, she'd leave, just... not yet. And if she had to run, if she had to escape, when she did, she'd leave Nine a note.

He was still her friend after all. In the meantime, she'd prepare.

"Are you coming in," asked Wilf. Just as he spoke the room began to fill with men dressed in military uniforms, carrying weapons. Lilly bolted into the TARDIS, and Wilf slammed the door. "Does this have a lock? I think they'll get in." Wilf was worried.

"It's fine," answered Lilly. She flipped the lock just to be sure. "The assembled hordes of... Never mind. They won't get in. We're safe."

Wilf nodded and visibly relaxed.

"I'm Lilly," she extended her hand, realizing they hadn't been properly introduced. "And it's an honor to meet you."

"Oh. You've heard of me then?"

"Wilfred Mott. Donna's grandfather. Friend of the Doctor. The old soldier who never took a life." Lilly gave him a smile.

"Well." Wilf looked a little ruffled, and definitely surprised. "It... It's nice to meet you too." The old man stood a little taller. "I'm afraid the others ran off." He pointed down the hallway. "Not sure where. But I hope Sara is all right. She seemed awfully bad off, she did."

When Wilf and Lilly finally arrived at the infirmary, the mood was somber. Rose stood by the door, keeping her distance, while both Doctors stood on either side of Sara's bed. Nine's back was towards them, hands in his jacket pockets. Ten stood facing the door, a grave look on his face.

"What's going on?" Lilly asked.

Rose quietly. "They've got her on life support," she answered. "She's not responding."

"She will," piped up Ten. _She's got too. _

"Sorry," started Nine.

"No," Ten cut him off. "I can still feel her. She's not gone. Not yet." _We've only just got started._

"Just an echo," explained Nine. "You know how it works."

"No," whispered Ten. He took a step towards Sara, and ran a hand through her hair. "She's different. She's not like other humans. She's not like other puerile. The bond is deeper." He bent down and kissed her forehead. _I can't lose you. I just can't._

Rose could hear his thoughts, feel his grief. It was overwhelming, stifling. It was too much. She turned and left the room.

"I'll... I'll just sit with her for a while." Ten looked up, and Nine saw the tears in his eyes. He knew there was almost nothing worse than losing a member of one's own house. Nine knew Ten was suffering, and he felt for him.

"Leave you to it then." He left, giving Ten his space. Lilly stepped into the infirmary.

"Is there anything we can do?" she asked Ten.

"Tell me..." His voice broke. "Use that gift of yours, and tell me she'll wake up." He looked her in the eyes. "Tell me she'll be alright," he pleaded.

"I..." She was taken aback. "I don't know."

The utter despair that came across Ten's face at her words was enough to break anyone. _Would it hurt to lie? _If she woke up, Ten would never know she'd lied. And if she didn't Ten wouldn't have to start suffering until after Sara had passed on. Just this once, maybe lying would be all right. Besides, she didn't have a deal of honesty with this Doctor. She'd be relieving some of that hurt she could see him suffering. Isn't that the kind of thing the Doctor did? He lied. Lilly reached out and took Sara's hand. The Doctor watched her.

_No. I won't lie_, she thought. She smiled, and breathed a sigh in relief. She'd been so tempted to break her own rules. But she didn't. She didn't lie, and that felt good. She turned to look at Ten. "Don't give up hope," she tried to comfort him. But after watching Lilly's reactions, seeing how she smiled and relaxed, her words did more than give him comfort. He smiled in return as relief flooded his system. He thought Lilly knew Sara would be fine. He nodded to himself. It was nice having a time sensitive on board.

"Why don't you take Wilf to the galley," he offered, remembering how Sara had been starving only a short time ago. "I'm sure you're hungry. I know it's been a while since you've eaten." He wasn't going to make the same mistakes with Lilly. As long as she was on board, he'd do right by her.

"But..." Lilly motioned to her friend.

"I'll notify you the moment she wakes," he told her.

Lilly nodded. "Ok," she said hesitantly.

Ten watched as Lilly and Wilf left the infirmary. He slid his hands in his pockets, smiling. "Lilly, wait," he called out, pulling her forgotten iPod from his pocket. But she was already gone.

Ten was about to put the iPod back when he noticed the picture on the lock screen. He must have accidentally bumped the on switch, and was surprised to see a picture of himself. It wasn't just any picture either, which was impossible enough. It was a picture of him running for his life with Martha running next to him. Martha looked panicked, and he looked serious. In the background it looked like a wall of flames. At the top of the picture were the symbols for play, skip forward, and skip back.

Ten didn't know Lilly had been listening to the sound track for series three of 'Doctor Who' on her iPod the last time she'd used it during her shower. So, when he'd accidentally bumped the on button, the option to continue playing the album came up displaying the cover art, a picture of the tenth Doctor and Martha Jones.

Ten pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it at the device. He began scanning for other images of himself. Almost instantly, the screwdriver brought up the video section and began playing 'Christmas Invasion.'

"What is this?" he asked aloud. Less than thirty seconds into the episode, he was watching Jackie Tyler decorate her Christmas tree in her front room. He watched as Jackie picked up a gift for Rose, and looked longingly out the window with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Jackie. I'm sorry." _Why was this on Lilly's iPod? _The scene switched, and he watched Mickey working at his job. At the sound of the TARDIS both Jackie and Mickey went running. "But," Ten said to himself. "That sounds like my TARDIS." He winced when he watched his TARDIS bounce like a ball in an arcade machine and crash near a brick building. "Blimey. What a landing." He saw himself come out of the machine, obviously suffering the beginning stages of a neuron implosion. _Is that what happened? _he asked himself. He had to admit a lot of what he'd said and done was still fuzzy. He'd been pretty sick.

_Ooo! _He watched Mickey catch him as he passed out. _Thank you Mickey_, he thought, suddenly grateful the human hadn't let him fall. "This looks like a... like a program of the tele," said Ten. Rose came out of the TARDIS.

Rose! Ten's hearts swelled.

_What? _asked Rose telepathically.

_Oh, sorry. Never mind. _He could feel Rose's confusion. And he knew she could feel his conflicting emotions, and curiosity about what he'd discovered on Lilly's iPod. He hadn't meant to let that through their bond. He could feel her anger and frustration. She was having a hard time with this.

Suddenly, the theme song and credits for 'Doctor Who' began to play on the iPod. "Oh, no." The tenth Doctor dropped into an armchair next to Sara's bed. "This is not good," he said. "Really not good."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After wondering the corridors for a while Nine ended up in one of the observatories. It was a large room with enormous windows showing a picturesque view of the Nendrossa System. _Thank you_, he sent feelings of gratitude to the new TARDIS. This had always been one of the places his TARDIS loved to visit. It was just what he needed. He looked out the window, placing a hand on the glass. He'd lost everything... again. Only this time was much, much worse. It wasn't fair.

"Are you alright?" asked Rose when she stepped into the room. "Blimey," she said, looking out the window, " 'S beautiful."

Nine stepped back from the glass, and forced a smile. "Nendrossa System," he began his usual explanations. "Home to over..."

"Are you alright?" Rose repeated her question, cutting him off.

He quietly looked at the Time Lord's wife. "Are you alright," he turned the question on her.

"No," her voice cracked. "How can anyone be alright after today, yeah?" Nine nodded in understanding. Rose came to stand next to her Doctor. She looked out the window, folding her arms. " 'S not the destruction of Earth this time," she said, trying to smile, and referring to Platform One. "Had to top it with the destruction of the universe, yeah?"

"You know me," said Nine, understanding she was using humor to help him deal with what they'd lost.

"You think you're so impressive." She smirked at him.

He laughed. "I am impressive." He mimicked the voice he'd used the first time he'd said that. She tried to smile at him, but the tears in her eyes, and her traitorous lips wouldn't cooperate.

"Rose, I'm so sorry." She reached out, and he pulled her into a hug. "Never should have brought you. Never should have taken you."

"I wanted to come," Rose countered. But for the first time part of her wished she'd stayed home. The thought only lasted a moment, but it had been there. And Ten felt it. She could feel that he felt it. "Besides," she continued talking with Nine, "if I didn't come, I'd be dead like everyone else." Nine held her a little tighter before letting go.

_Rose! _She heard Ten's thought.

_"_What?!" said Rose verbally as well as internally. Couldn't she have a moment's piece? She felt his grief subside a few moments ago, and was relieved when it did. She was suffering enough with her own grief, both from losing her universe and possibly losing Sara. Adding his to the mix was making it unbearable. Now, her mind was full of his curiosity, and conflicting emotion.

_Oh, sorry. Never mind._

_"_What's the matter?" asked Nine.

"He's in my head," she complained, pressing her fingers to her temples like she was suffering a headache. "Every moment. Every second. I can't..." She turned away from Nine. "I can't get him out." He looked at her with empathy. "There's all this stuff. Memories, I think. And languages. And noise. And math." She looked at Nine. "I hate math. There's a reason I didn't get my A levels, yeah?" She moved closer to the glass, staring out at the Nendrossa System. "But that's not the worst of it. He hears my thoughts. I know he does. Everything. Even personal stuff." She leaned her forehead onto the window. "Stuff I'd never tell anyone." She bumped her head against the window, closing her eyes. The moment she closed her eyes, she saw mathematical symbols flying past her vision at super speeds. "Stop it," she whispered, hitting her head against the window again. She could hear the hum of thousands of alien species in her ears. "It's so noisy." She hit her head again. "Shut it," she told her mind, hitting her head harder. "Stop!" She hit her head again. Every time she hit her head, there was a moment of silence. "Please stop!" Rose began banging her head into the glass in rhythm harder with every strike. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop..."

"Rose!" Nine pulled her away from the glass. Taking her by the shoulders, he looked into her eyes with worry. She hadn't even heard him. She hadn't even realized he'd been calling her name.

"Make it stop," she pleaded in a whisper. Nine looked at her like he was trying to decide something.

"You need to talk to him," Nine finally said. "He can teach you. Help you to handle it." "I can't," said Rose.

"Rose, for a Time Lord to bond... Gave himself to you. Every part. Didn't hold back. Left himself open, exposed. All those thoughts you feel. That's him. The real him. He's not trying to hurt you. Needs you. You need him now too. Need him to explain it, teach it. Longer you're apart... It's not good. For either of you."

"I can't. It's louder when he's near. I can't. I just can't." She looked up at him. "Help."

"Oh, Rose." Nine took in a breath, and exhaled. No human should experience this. They weren't built for it. It was cruel. She was his companion, and she was suffering. He brought his hands up to her temples. "Just going to take a peak. Don't worry. Won't hurt." Rose nodded, already relieved the Doctor might be able to help.

Rose could feel Nine's presence pressing itself against her mind. He looked into her eyes. She gasped. She could feel the Doctor's presence hovering on the outside of her thoughts. Rose closed her eyes, instantly seeing the math again.

"Blimey, Rose." She could feel the energy from Nine's fingers like the pull of a magnet just inside her temples. There was pressure. Suddenly, she felt a cooling sensation surrounding her just under her skull, instantly supplying some relief to the noise. "Going to look a bit deeper. Anything private. Cover it with a door. Alright?"

"Alright."

Nine moved swiftly through Rose's mind, noticing the ever present protection from Ten hovering nearby, ready to attack if she felt threatened. It felt good to be surrounded by another's thoughts, like coming home, like sensing his TARDIS.

"I'm sorry," said Rose, "about the TARDIS."

"How did you...?" Nine was surprise she'd picked up on his stray thought. He swallowed, but didn't bother closing doors in his mind. He knew she had full access to Ten. Which meant she probably had access to everything he knew already. Perhaps there were a few differences in their memories, because they were dimensional duplicates. But they would be few, he knew. He wouldn't hide from her.

"See where I am?" asked Nine. Rose was quiet. "Yeah," she answered.

"Come here." Nine felt Rose's thoughts move to where he stood, only a breath away from her center.

_Don't_, warned Ten when Nine moved a little closer to the glowing sphere at the center of Rose's mind.

"Wouldn't do," answered Nine, impressed Ten had noticed his movements.

_It's my mind_, thought Rose to Ten. _Back off_. Nine and Rose could feel Ten's hurt and anger at Rose's rejection.

"Doin' what he's supposed to, Rose. Keepin' you safe." Nine sighed. "He should be doin' this."

"I don't trust him." Nine could feel the emotional agony Ten was suffering. "He... He killed my mum." Rose's grief shot through her mind crashing down on Nine, and overwhelming Ten through their bond.

Nine was quiet for a minute. He didn't explain about what happened to her mother. Ten would have to deal with that. Instead, he reached out to Rose, metaphorically taking her by the hand. "Feel what it's like to stand here, be here?"

"Yeah."

"Notice everything," said Nine. "How does it feel?"

"Like... like I'm in the center of myself, yeah? Like I'm pulled in."

"Well done. Now, step into the sphere." He felt Rose's consciousness move towards the sphere. She stopped.

"Are you coming?"

"Nope. That's private. You step in there, an' you'll have some quiet. Stand here, an' he won't hear your thoughts 'less he comes lookin'."

"How do you mean?"

"Bonded spouses have access to the other's mind. If he comes lookin' you won't be able to hide anything." Nine and Ten could feel Rose's sudden fear. "Works the other way too," Nine went on. "He can't hide from you. Be careful what you look for though. Got some pretty scary stuff in our heads. He'll keep it from you. But if you go lookin', he won't be able to stop you." Nine watched as Rose moved into the sphere at the center of her mind, and felt her relax.

After a few minutes of silence, Nine went to pull back. "Goin' to let go now," he warned her.

"No." Rose fell out of her center. "Please don't."

"Not appropriate for me to stay," said Nine. He dropped his hands away from her temples, suddenly breaking the connection. Rose felt the sensation of something like thick gelatin pull off the outside of her mind, creating a suction as it left. She felt strangely empty, alone. But the loneliness only lasted a moment. She could feel Ten filling the void. Nine backed away. He stood there hands in his jacket pockets.

Rose blinked her eyes open, startled to find Ten standing next to them. He looked at her. When he'd sensed her distress, he'd come running, asking Lilly to sit with Sara on his way. He'd started standing next to his wife only minutes after Nine had entered her mind.

"Feel better?" he asked. She nodded. "Good. Thats... that's good." He turned to Nine. "Thank you."

Nine nodded. Internally, he frowned. He could have loved Rose Tyler. After touching her mind, there was no doubt in his mind, he could have loved her. He could have loved her more than any other person he'd ever met. He swallowed. But he couldn't. Not now. Not ever. That possible time line was gone. He'd lost her. One more thing he'd lost today, true love. _At least she's still alive_, he thought. Knowing she was alive, knowing eventually she'd be happy, that he could visit her, talk to her when he needed to, that would be enough. Nine smiled at the thought. Rose Tyler was alive, and he could know her. She would always be his friend. _Movin' on_.

"Put up a few blocks, me, if that's alright," he explained to Ten. "Should fade over time. Give her a chance to get used to the bond. Bit much for a human. Can't imagine what the Master's wife went through."

"Trust me. It wasn't pretty," said Ten.

"Problem came 'cause you were fightin' it," Nine told Rose. "Was a new bond. Already difficult 'cause your species. You were fightin' it." He looked at Ten. "Then you stressed it with that paradox. What were you thinking? Two of you, same incarnation, thinking around her like that."

Ten inhaled. "I was trying to save my puerile." He looked at Rose. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"Think you have some repair work ahead of you." Nine turned to leave. "Leave you to it then."

"Wait!" Rose didn't want him to go. Ten could feel she was afraid. All those monsters and aliens the other Rose had faced, and she was afraid of him.

"Rose, it's fine. You'll be fine." Nine nodded towards Ten. "Trust him. Trust me. Do as he says." Nine didn't trust Ten yet. They still had a lot of things to discuss, his treatment of Sara being one of them. But he knew Ten would never intentionally hurt Rose. He couldn't. Hurting his bonded spouse would hurt him. Rose was safe. Besides, what choice did she have? They were bonded. It was done. No going back. And if anyone could help Ten, it was her. Nine knew she'd influence him for good. He couldn't help smiling at the memory of how Rose stood up to him when she disagreed with helping the Gelth.

"But..." She licked her lips. "He's not you." Memories of that terrible beach flashed through Ten's thoughts, memories of giving up the woman he loved. Memories of sacrificing his own time with her to ensure her happiness flashed through him. Only this time, he was the one to end up with Rose Tyler.

_Blimey_, thought Rose. She stared at Ten in disbelief. "He's me, Rose," explained Nine. "That's me. Just different experiences. Trust him."

Nine turned to leave.

"Hang on a tick." Nine turned back to see what Ten wanted. "You need to take a look at this." Ten pulled Lilly's iPod out of his pocket. "Take a look at the videos. We'll need to talk about it when I'm done here."

Nine looked questioningly at Ten. He took the iPod, and left the newlyweds alone.

"You won't be able to hear me for a while," Ten explained to Rose. "Not unless we're touching, and maybe if I feel some really, really strong emotions."

"Can't we keep it like this?"

Ten frowned. "Don't you feel lonely?"

Rose looked startled. She hadn't noticed it, but she did have a strange, empty feeling. It was like she was missing something. She could still feel Ten. He was still filling the void left by Nine, but there was something else missing.

"That's the incomplete bond," said Ten. "Weeell, when I say incomplete, it's not really incomplete. It's just..."

"Blocked," Rose finished for him.

"Yeah." Ten nodded. "Usually, bonded pairs start to miss each other after a few weeks, if they're separated. With how far and long Time Lords travel it was nature's way of keeping pairs together. If we're separated for more than a few weeks, it'll start to get uncomfortable. The longer we're away from each other, the worse it will get. That's kind of what the other Doctor did for you. It's like we're separated by time or distance. After a few weeks, it'll start to get uncomfortable. But in the meantime it'll give you time to adapt." Ten looked at his wife. "Humans. You're really good at adapting."

"So, what happens if someone's husband or wife died, yeah? My dad died when I was just a baby. Mum was without him for more than a few weeks." She swallowed, thinking of her mum.

Ten paused, trying to keep his emotions in check. He knew someday soon, only a few decades, he'd lose Rose. "You suffer," Ten answered her question. "If you lose your bonded spouse, you suffer. And the longer you go without them, the worse it gets."

Rose swallowed. She licked her lips. "What's it like?" she asked. She knew he told the Master he'd lost his wife, Patience.

"Lonely," he answered. It was one of the reasons he was driven to be with others. He needed them. He needed his companions more than they ever knew. And it was one of the reasons losing his companions was so much harder on him than anyone could imagine. He'd been without a bonded spouse for nearly a millennium.

"That's it? Lonely."

"It's enough."

Rose sighed, and Ten could feel her apprehension. "So, that's what I have to look forward to."

"What?"

"Well, you're what? Like 35 or 37 or somethin', yeah? So, chances are you'll go before me."

Ten smiled.

"Wha'?"

"Rose Tyler," her name rolled off his tongue. He grinned that famous tenth Doctor grin. "I'm eleven hundred and twenty-four." He looked up like he was calculating. "Twenty- seven," he corrected. "I'm eleven hundred and twenty-seven years old."

"You're kiddin'."

"Nope. And that doesn't count paradoxes, alternate or aborted time lines."

"Eleven hundred and twenty-seven." She gave him a look. "That's one helluva' age gap." The conversation reminded him of one he'd had with his other Rose a little over two centuries ago on a roof top in London. He suddenly found himself very grateful for the chance to be with this Rose. Maybe he'd only have a few short decades with her, but he would cherish every moment.

"Blimey," said Rose, feeling his emotions at his memory. She didn't see the memory though. She only felt his gratitude. She felt his love. "You left her," she said. "The other Rose. The one from this dimension."

"She found someone else," explained Ten.

"No. 'S more than that, yeah?"

Ten inhaled. Telepathy would be so much easier for this sort of thing, but he knew Rose wasn't ready for that. "There was an accident. It created a human copy of me. I don't age, Rose. Humans..." He inhaled again, letting it out slowly. "Humans decay. You wither and die. I encouraged her to go with him. They'd age at the same time. She could have everything I could never give her. Children. A family. Living in a dimension where both her mum and dad were alive. She even had a baby brother. If she stayed with me, she would have lost all that. She only would have had me." He swallowed, and Rose could feel his emotions coming through their bond in spite of the blocks. "I had to let her go. So she could be happy."

Rose couldn't imagine ending up with all that. She'd always wondered about her dad. And to have a little brother! Wow! She knew Ten was telling the truth. He'd given up his time with his Rose to give her the best chance at happiness. Was this the fantastic life Lilly had been talking about? Is that what her Doctor would have ended up doing for her? Would she have fallen in love with him? But he was the Doctor. It wasn't like that. He wasn't like her boyfriend or anything. He was better than that.

"I'll out live you, so you shouldn't have to worry about ending up alone," Ten went on. "But I'm sorry I can't give you everything I gave her. If I could, I would. You deserve to be happy too." He reached for Rose, but she stepped back. As much as she believed him, she wasn't ready for him to touch her.

He swallowed. "Sorry. Habit, I suppose."

"I'm not her," said Rose. "I'm not that other Rose, the one you fell in love with."

"I know." He looked at her. "You're better," he tried to explain. "You're better, because you're mine." He could feel how nervous his wife suddenly felt. He looked at her. "I do need to touch you though, if... if you'll let me. I need to stabilize the blocks, and do some basic repairs to fix the damage caused by the paradox. Having two of me in your mind was too much. If I don't reinitialize our connection, the blocks will fall apart, and you'll return to the same state the other Doctor was helping you with."

Rose thought about what he said. Even though she knew she was still connected to this Doctor, it was so much quieter in her mind. She certainly didn't want to go back to how she was before. "Alright," she said. "What do I need to do?"

"Just," Ten looked at her, placing his fingers on her temples, "let me in. If you don't resist, it won't hurt."

"Wait."

Ten stopped, dropping his hands back.

"Why would it hurt?"

"I'll be very gentle, Rose. I swear. It should be fine. Just...Don't start fighting me once I'm in. If you ask, I'll leave. But don't fight me. All right?"

"Alright," she answered, trusting Nine when he said to trust the other Doctor. Ten could feel Rose's hesitation. He gently replaced his fingers to her temples, and Rose could feel him. It didn't feel like what Nine had done a few minutes ago. It was completely different. It felt more... intimate? She could feel pressure surrounding her skull, instantly feeling weak. She inhaled sharply, and looked into Ten's eyes. He looked at her questioningly. He waited. When he felt her relax, he moved forward pressing himself into her mind only to pause, giving her a soft mental caress.

"Ohh." Rose was surprised at the sensation.

Ten smiled at her. As he penetrated her outskirts, Rose's breath hitched. "It's alright. It's alright." He tried to calm her, sending another mental caress.

"Why?" Rose asked. "Why does it feel like that? 'S nothing like the other Doctor's..."

"Different dimension... different people or energy or technique. I don't know. S'pose I'll have to talk to him about it." She could feel his eyes holding hers. "Is this alright?" he asked. Rose nodded slightly. She'd never felt anything like this. "Alright," he said, "Here we go." In one mental movement, she felt him thrust deeper into her psyche.

"Oh, Doctor!"

Suddenly, the Doctor was surrounded by Rose Tyler. Every place in his mind was being touched by his wife. Her essence surrounded him, permeated him. He could feel her soft, close, comforting metaphorical tissue pressing tightly around his mind. Ten released all the love and emotion he'd ever had for Rose, every thought or ache or need to see her, talk to her, be with her. Her mind was instantly flooded with overpowering, all encompassing joy at her presence.

Rose could feel the Doctor's consciousness spreading over her skin just as she had when he'd bonded with her in that closet in the Naismith mansion. She felt him shift, and begin moving inside her mind, spreading himself through her soul. She felt his warmth spreading through her, and his joy when she instinctively reached towards him.

"Ohh," both Rose and the Doctor moaned at the sensation of being together. She felt the Doctor secure the blocks into place. She felt the marriage bond strengthen back to what it had originally been before it had been assaulted by the paradox.

"Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I..." He hesitated to ask. Ten closed his eyes just letting him self feel. "Can I go deeper?"

"Yeah," Rose answered before she could stop herself, before she could think.

"Thank you," whispered Ten.

Rose felt him move closer to her center. "Oh, my...!"

"Language." Ten cut her off, sensing what she was about to say.

"I've never felt anything like this."

The Doctor took in a deep breath. He smiled. This... This was heaven. He couldn't help but savor the sensation of being surrounded by Rose's mind, his wife's mind. She was magnificent. He was deep, he knew he was buried deep inside his wife. The Doctor marveled at how it could be possible for him to finally be with the woman he loved. He marveled at how complete he finally felt. All his lives, he'd never had this. He was completely surrounded by her. For the first time in all his one thousand one hundred and twenty-seven years, four months, sixteen days, thirteen hours, and twenty-one minutes time lost its meaning. He was finally home, finally where he belonged. They could have been like that for twenty minutes or twenty hours. He didn't know. He didn't care. He was with Rose Tyler. And that's all that mattered.

The Doctor leaned down towards Rose. He stopped just shy of kissing her. Rose's breath hitched. She could feel his breath ghosting across her lips. He let his fingers slide from the sides of her head to rest on the sides of her shoulders. She could still feel him in her mind. He was still buried deep. Tentatively his lips barely touched hers pulling back after only a split second. She looked surprised, but didn't back away. He did it again, tasting her for only the briefest of moments. He kissed her a third time. Rose kissed back, and the Doctor stayed. He deepened the kiss, and Rose reached up to pull him towards her. He lifted one hand to her side, and let the other one land on her hip, drawing her towards him.

Rose's lips tasted sweet like honey, and that scent that could only be described as Rose. The Doctor tasted like time, time and... bananas? Rose smiled as the Doctor continued to kiss her.

"What?" asked the Doctor against her lips. He kissed the corner of her mouth, backing her up against the wall as he kissed along her jaw, ending up kissing just behind her ear. "What is it?" he asked, starting to kiss down her neck.

"Bananas," she managed to say breathlessly.

The Doctor brought his hand up, skillfully undoing the top button on her blouse. Rose's hand shot up to grab his, to stop him. He stopped, bringing his eyes back to her questioningly. He could feel her confusion, her fear.

"What am I doin'?" she asked. He could feel her anger. " 'S not right." She looked at him. "We just met."

"Rose..."

"No." She pushed his hand away. Only minutes ago she wouldn't even let him hold her hand. But now she was snogging him? Who was she, her mother?! She wasn't like this. What happened? "I've got a boyfriend!" Suddenly, she remembered Mickey was dead. Mickey was dead, and this man had killed him. Rose tried to push past him, to leave.

"Wait." The Doctor caught her arm.

"Let go."

"Rose, just wait."

"No!" She started trying to pull away.

"Just! Wait!" Rose could feel Ten's frustration. She was starting to get scared, really scared. Her Doctor was no where to be seen. This was this Doctor's ship. He was stronger, smarter, and faster than she was. And he thought she was his. He considered them married.

"Please," begged Rose, tears coming to her eyes. "Please don't."

The Doctor let go of her like he'd been burned. He clenched his jaw, and wished the other Doctor hadn't put the blocks in place. He wished he hadn't confirmed them in his wife's mind. Rose turned to run, to get away. But the door was locked. It wouldn't let her out. Ten stood close by, and she could feel his anger even now.

"I never would, Rose." She turned to look at him. "Never. Do you understand? I never would."

She swallowed. "Then why...?"

"We're still linked," answered Ten. "In here." He touched his temple. "Can't you feel it?"

Rose's breathing calmed. Yes. She could still feel him. She could feel his anger, his frustration, his hurt. She'd thought it was just the bond. But no. He was still buried deep inside of her mind.

"If we get too far apart without me withdrawing properly, it could hurt you." Ten took a slow step closer to Rose. He reached out, and touched her temples. She took in a slow breath, and realized she could feel him withdrawing from her mind even now. He'd started pulling out of her the moment she got upset. "The only reason I could remain in your mind without a proper physical connection is because we're bonded. But even that has distance limitations."

"You could've said."

"Well, I seem to remember saying something before we started, something about all you had to do was ask."

Both Rose and the Doctor closed their eyes as they felt their connection break. Ten had fully withdrawn from her. They gasped, and were silent for several minutes. He released her temples.

"Sorry," said Rose, breaking the silence. _What happened? _Why did she snog him? Why did she consent to him going deeper in her mind? She didn't understand. Ten heard her questions, and grimaced. Some of his anger dissipated.

"No, you're right," said Ten. "We just met. It was wrong. You don't know me. And you definitely don't understand." He was deeply offended Rose Tyler thought him capable of something so despicable. "Don't worry. It won't happen again." He reached up, and snapped his fingers. Rose heard the door unlock. "I'm sorry I scared you." Ten left the room.

He needed some space, something to do, some place to go. Go. Where could he go? A distraction, that's what he needed. He couldn't think about Rose right now. It was bad enough he could still feel her in his mind, he could still hear every stray thought, feel every emotion. The Doctor groaned. Maybe the other Doctor could think of something. He seemed like he thought he had all the answers. Maybe he did. If nothing else they could discuss the iPod. They could figure out what to do next, how to handle this. Anything to keep his mind of Rose right now. He knew he needed to be patient. He knew she didn't understand, she didn't know him. But it didn't change how much that hurt. He wouldn't touch her again until the blocks were gone. He couldn't risk Rose not understanding his intentions, never again. He could still feel and hear everything from her. But she was blocked in understanding him.

"How do humans cope?" asked Ten. No wonder the human divorce rate is so high. How could a marriage survive without proper communication. And time. He needed to give Rose time. Time was a luxury though. A luxury in short supply. Humans only lasted a few decades. Then Rose would be gone. Ten swallowed. Maybe he should go back, try to talk with her. _No_, he thought. He'd scared her. She needed her space too. At least he could give her that.

He went in search for this counterpart but realized upon his telepathic link to his TARDIS that his duplicate wished for some moment's privacy so the conversation regarding the iPod would have to wait. He took into consideration that Nine might have retreated to study the device thoroughly greatly alarmed by its contents just as it alarmed Ten. He could hardly blame his counterpart for investigating the device that could have serious implications on the two of them.

He turned and headed back to the sickbay, hoping to see some improvement in Sara's condition. Lilly sat beside her bed, holding the other girl's hand looking plainly exhausted and Ten knew with the events that had previously transpired, she had hardly slept. Putting a hand on Lilly's shoulder, the girl tensed in response before glancing up at him, concern lacing her features. Maybe she didn't know the details of Sara's prognosis and he had to consider that was not the way her time sensitivity worked. Judging by Lilly's worried expression, his hearts sank a little as he glanced at his puerile laying motionless on the bed beneath the surgical web which enabled her lungs to keep moving and her heart to continue beating beneath the stasis field. No. He saw Lilly smile with that gleam of knowing in her eyes and Sara wasn't just an echo as his counterpart declared. Ten knew because he could still feel Sara actively in his mind regardless if no one else believed him. She simply had to return because there was still too much he needed to make right by her and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her just when he was starting to get her back.

"Why don't we find you a room. You can go to bed." He told Lilly softly.

"But Sara-"

"Still promise to let you know the moment she wakes up." He assured her as he took her down the corridor, to a room he had specifically in mind for her. Before Lilly went to bed she paused at the door, glancing at him. "I really-" She paused. "I hope she makes it." She said finally, swallowing hard before she disappeared into her new quarters.

He returned to the sickbay, taking Sara's hand as hours floated by unceasingly, feeling in the back of his mind that Rose had finally fallen asleep which brought him some relief. He glanced down at his puerile feeling utterly frustrated. "C'mon Sara." He demanded. "I know you. You're still in there because I feel it. Prove to me how stubborn you are." Stroking his hand through her hair. "I'm so, so sorry. All the times you tried to save me and I didn't seem to listen but I am now. I swear, I'll do better."

His bottom lip quivered as tears blurred his vision, he sank his head down onto her bed, squeezing her hand pressing his thoughts to that piece of her in his mind, rallying his puerile to wake unable to stand the thought of losing another member of his family. Hardly noticing, he drifted into a light slumber, his dreams became a myriad of images of both Rose and Sara jumbled together as time continued its progressive march, he allowed himself to revel in the pleasure of seeing all his family alive just right in front of him. It was too rare a joy for a Time Lord to dream and he wouldn't deny himself this simple gratification.

A hand on his shoulder propelled him out of his sleep and he turned to see his counterpart behind him as he grumbled, "Do you have any idea how unusual it is to have a good dream for once?"

Nine raised his eyebrows, glancing at Sara. "Still the same?" He asked.

Ten didn't answer, choosing only to study the Gallifreyian writing above her bed that despite his assertions and presence in his mind, her results showed no change.

"I'm not giving up on her, if that's what you're asking." Ten declared as Nine sighed.

"Not here to argue but you brought this to me." Nine held out Lilly's iPod with a serious expression on his face.

The concern the object had given Ten pressed down upon him again as he looked at Nine. "And you saw what was on it?"

"Most of it." Nine said with a grimace, shaking his head. "Nearly couldn't believe it myself. 'S very serious. Have to do something 'bout this."

Ten ran his hand through his hair. "I saw myself on that device. Just like when Sara was catatonic and she was experiencing a memory of seeing it on the tele with her friends." He paused, looking at the iPod with a sigh. "What should we do?"

"Wait on it. Let things settle down. Lilly's in no shape and-" Nine glanced at Sara. "We'll just have to see."

"Wait." Ten repeated, thinking about Rose.

"Yup, what's the worry?" Nine asked. Ten merely paused thinking of the blocks Rose requested to be put in place still feeling hurt about the implications. He remembered how upset she was, the fear that flooded her expression when she felt she was not in control of her actions. He never meant to violate her trust but he felt deeply wounded when she had fled out of the room in such a hurry.

"Rose." Ten clenched his hands together, feeling the pain of her rejection all over again.

"What about Rose?" Nine folded his arms across his chest looking down at his counterpart.

"I tried to help with her thoughts." Ten explained. "Went into her mind and it was perfect but then she wanted to break free." He felt himself trembling. "What if she doesn't want me? What if-"

"How long has it been?" Nine stared at him directly. Ten started to answer. "And not since you've known her but how long has this Rose known you?"

Ten was silent knowing it had only been a matter of days.

"Seems like your askin' a lot from this Rose. Hasn't had a chance to know you at all. Took you how long for your Rose and you to have feelings?" Nine posed.

Ten swallowed. "Nearly two years."

"Two years." Nine repeated. "Think you can stand to give this Rose a bit more time. She's only human and with all your thoughts racin' in her head, how is one stupid ape s'posed to cope with all that?"

Ten felt a surge of anger course through him as he jumped up, immediately pushing Nine backwards. "Don't you ever call Rose that! She's not stupid. If she just needs more time, then I'll give it to her. I love her for being human! I-" He suddenly stopped realizing Nine was smiling and Ten started to relax. He had merely been joking, testing him, trying to get Ten to see it from Rose's perspective and it had worked. Ten shook his head. "You had me going there."

"Need to walk a mile in someone else's shoes." Nine told him.

"I'm sorry." Ten offered as Nine raised his eyebrows. "She should have been yours."

Nine grimaced. "Was the only choice you could of made. Would rather it be you then the Master. Been far worse for Rose." He glanced around the sickbay. "Been thinking of makin' additions to your sickbay. Scavenged equipment from my TARDIS. Any objections?"

"Go right ahead. Lilly mentioned something about mending beds."

"Been wanting to implement those." Nine told him. "Think they're better then stasis fields." He grimaced at the notion.

Ten glanced back down at Sara remembering with guilt weighing tremendously on both his hearts the time he kept her pinned to a medbay bed for two days as she pleaded with him for another chance.

'_You already had plenty.' He had told her._

How many chances had she given him? She had saved his life in the derelict fields when he was dying after the Master's attack. Sara had been willing to endure a bond with the Master and suffer the consequences rather then see him regenerate. Then, in the end, she spent all her energy to save Rose's life giving his wife back to him nearly at the cost of her own life. _Nearly. I can't lose her. I won't._

"Never told her that she could heal." Nine said gently looking at Sara. "Should of. Might have made it easier on her."

"We will." Ten said adamantly.

"'S different when she healed you. No injuries. I checked." He paused. "With Rose, significant trauma to the brain and-"

"I know." Ten remained obstinate. "It doesn't matter. You can't feel her like I can. She's still there."

"'S happened on Gallifrey before. We've both seen it with families and their-"

"This is DIFFERENT!" Ten shouted and Nine was taken aback. "My bond with her is deeper then any puerile and I sense her right now. She is trying to come back and I'm not going to give up on her. Lilly said…" He paused taking a deep breath.

"Lilly?" Nine asked seriously. "She said what?"

Ten thought for a moment thinking on Lilly realizing she had given him a smile in answer to his question, which gave him every reason to believe that Sara would recover. "Just the look on her face. I knew Sara would be all right."

"Being time sensitive doesn't mean Lilly is always right. You know this having one of your own." Nine told him. "Lilly told me once that Rose was in trouble by a descending sun filter on Platform one and that never happ-"

Ten cut him off. "Not in your timeline. It did in mine." They exchanged eye contact. "She was still right. Just altered the outcome." Nine still looked wary as he gave the matter some thought. "So your Rose got trapped in that room." He confirmed.

"Yes and Jabe actually died." Ten explained.

"No wonder Lilly was so surprised to see her still alive." Nine remarked.

"To see who alive?" Lilly asked. She only caught the tail end of the conversation as she walked into the infirmary with Wilfred. At least she felt better, having slept though the events of the prior day seemed to resonate unpleasantly within her dreams. Now more then ever, she was tired of the violence, which seemed to be a constant demand with time traveling. It was wearying on her and the nightmares she had of her holding the gun on the returning Time Lords did little to ease her conscience.

"You all right?" Nine asked her rather then supplying her with an answer to the question and she gave a shrug. How could she possibly be all right after those events and now Sara….What if Sara was truly gone. What if-

"Look! There is increasing catabolism in her cellular membranes." Ten was staring at the readings above Sara's bed in fervent interest. "They're recreating the energy wavelength patterns and it's self replicating bringing her system back into metastasis."

"You're right." Nine said, swiftly examining the data while grabbing a device off the medical tray, scanning her brain for injury. "Bleeding in the interior wall of her cerebral cortex is repairing. All three energy levels are rising fifteen million, no, twenty million rels per second."

"What does any of that mean?" Wilfred asked. "Is she going to live?"

Ten looked at him as an enormous grin covered his face. "Yes, she's going to live. Matter of fact, she's self healing." He looked at Nine. "I did tell you…"

"Just didn't want you to get your hopes up in case you're wrong."

Lilly stepped closer to Sara's bed feeling immense relief that Sara hadn't died and she shivered despite herself. What if she had slipped away and then Sara would indeed been left all alone as a ward of not just one but two Doctors. Ten may have turned a corner but it didn't dismiss all the things he had done to Sara and Lilly could only imagine how hard it would be to adapt to that situation all by herself. Lilly knew her first assumption had been right. Sara, if their positions were reversed, would have never done that to her.

Her friend was back, the one that she could share all the details of the episodes of Dr. Who without fear of criticism or breaking a rule because Sara believed it too. Now that she was alive, she could talk to Sara about joining her, of course, when she had recovered. She knew Sara longed for a normal life and the two of them had each other, they would discuss it. Maybe since the timeline had been so drastically altered, the two Doctors would consent given they could pop in for an occasional visit. That would surely be the most amicable solution.

Lilly was startled to be swept off her feet in a fierce embrace by Ten who held her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "You were right all along about her coming back. He told her. "Nearly doubted you for a second but won't make that same mistake twice. Thank you."

"Um, you're welcome, I guess." She said. "Didn't really do anything so-"

"You did more then you realize." Ten knew at that moment how lucky he was to have found someone as rare as Lilly and then he took a proper look at her noticing the lines underneath her eyes. _She didn't sleep well last night. _He thought. Maybe he could help her as a means of a thank you and to right some of his cruelty he paid towards her.

"Nightmares?" He asked, releasing her and she shrugged, looking away.

"I can install a delta wave augmenter in your room." Ten suggested.

"A what?" Lilly asked, her brows furrowed.

"A device that will help you sleep. On setting eight, it will prevent you from dreaming so-"

"No!" Both Lilly and Nine said together.

Ten was startled by their reaction. "I was only trying to help."

"'S not going to happen. Not programming our companions to sleep. 'S healthy for humans to dream. Helps them work things out." Nine looked at Sara with concern wondering how many times Ten used that device on her. It did explain some things.

Ten dropped the subject and went to shake Wilfred's hand who looked tremendously relieved that no one had perished when he made that venture into the radiation booth. If either Rose or Sara had died, he would never have been able to forgive himself but seeing the Doctor now was like looking at a new man. He remembered how terribly distraught he was at the café but now he was smiling, filled with a fresh sense of enthusiasm.

They all turned when Sara let out a soft groan and opened her eyes looking at everyone blearily, blinking slowly. "What happened?" She whispered, her throat dry. Suddenly she started to panic as she attempted to move her arms and legs. "I can't move!" Her voice was raspy as her eyes were filled with fear. "Why can't I move?"

Ten cursed inwardly, rushing to the controls. "Just one minute. Hang on."

Nine put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Had to use the stasis field while you were on life support. Taking it off right now. Just relax."

"Stasis?" She was trembling remembering all too vividly the time where she was pinned to the mattress by that very same shield.

Ten finally reversed it and Sara let out a gasp as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry." He told her, taking a cup off the bedside table. "I'm so sorry." He said offering her the water, which she accepted with a shaking hand while glancing up at him feeling a strong sense of relief emanating from him that had her puzzled. She drank the water greedily at first until Nine interceded advising, "Small sips."

"Why was I on life support?" She asked shakily.

Everyone started to speak at once and she involuntarily cringed as Wilfred lectured to her that she had no business stepping near radiation booths. Lilly took her hand. "I'm sorry I ran out. I shouldn't of left you there. I knew what would happen just as much as you did."

"But you couldn't so-" Sara started to reply.

"You're way to young to die for an old soldier like me. You and Rose had no business doing that." Wilfred said. "How would I explain that to Donna?"

"I…" Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes. There were too many people speaking at once and it was hard to catch the different streams of conversation. Maybe if she lay like this for a while, everyone would simply recede into the background. She felt Ten's concern so palpable in her mind and the feeling was so strange, it was a part of her yet it was foreign at the same time. _They certainly never explained this on the show. _But then, she found out that Ten had 'bonded' with her from the Master and upon confrontation Ten couldn't or wouldn't remove it. Now she was surrounded by a myriad of people all looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Kay, think she's had enough, everyone out."

They turned in surprise to see Rose leaning against the doorframe looking at Sara with concern.

"Think I didn't mean it? She doesn't need all of us jabbering at her the minute she opens her eyes."

Lilly immediately apologized feeling embarrassed. _Well of course she would be overwhelmed. _Wilfred nodded in agreement and the two immediately vacated the room. Rose turned to go but before she could leave, Ten's voice stopped her. "Rose wait." He had been impressed with her initiative and her insight when it came to seeing his puerile in distress. "Will you stay?"

She hesitated, properly embarrassed at what happened between them before and it wasn't entirely Ten's fault. She felt the connection and the longing when their minds connected but she wanted a chance to get to know him better before she got carried away. Still, she didn't mean to hurt him and she felt that pain resonate inside her when she did run out the door.

"'M sorry about before." She paused. "Just a bit too much, yeah? Haven't even taken me out on a date yet."

Ten chuckled. _So human. _"Then, Rose Tyler, I'll have to fix that." _A date with Rose Tyler…_He mused. "I'm sorry too. I won't rush you. I promise." He said fervently.

"You sure you want me here for this?" Rose asked as Sara stared at the two blankly. _Just how long have I been sleeping? _She looked at Nine for reassurance who squeezed her hand. "You'll be fine." He started to head to the door.

"Wait." Sara looked at him frantically. "You're not leaving, are you?"

Nine paused and took to leaning against the wall nearest the door. He knew Sara needed to feel safe especially in the next few moments considering the news his counterpart was going to impart. "Nope, will just wait right here." He told her with a smile and she looked at him with relief feeling momentarily secure.

She was struggling to sit up on the bed as Ten moved to her side, manipulating some of the controls. "Here" He said as he moved her to an upright position. "Any better?"

Sara nodded, glancing at Nine and then back at Ten who ran his hand over his face.

"As you know, a bond was formed between us when I went inside your mind while you were catatonic." He said gently.

"You also told me you wouldn't remove it." Sara replied. "I don't understand. You went in my head before and this didn't happen. Why can't you-"

"You had so deeply submerged I had to penetrate the core of your mind to get you out. I did what I had to in order to save your life." Ten told her. "You were caught in a stable synaptic imagery loop and it took quite a while to-"

"A what?" Sara looked perplexed.

"A time loop." Nine volunteered. "Remember doing the same thing over and over in the dream?"

Sara reflected. "Christina asked me to come and steal the crown jewels with her in the Tower of London. Except, when we got there, it wasn't the Tower but the library. She told me to read your name in a book and I said I wouldn't because-"

"You thought it was your mistake and you're not a thief." Ten finished. "Because of the deep penetration into your mind, a connection was forged that can't be undone. A piece of you will always be inside me and a piece of me will always be inside of you. That's what the Master sensed."

"Why did he need your permission to bond with me?" Sara asked. Oh, she remembered his command that he was her sovereign and she should obey him. It made her furious. Despite Time Lord advancements, they seemed dependent on a strange caste system where males once again were declared the primary authority.

"When I bonded with you, I formally adopted you as a puerile into the House of Lungbarrow. It-"

"What's a puerile?" Sara asked.

The Doctor pressed his lips together attempting to come up with the best approximation. "Simply put, a child of my house."

"But I'm 24!" Sara exclaimed. "I'm not a child so-"

"And I'm eleven hundred and twenty seven."

"Took my be surprise too." Rose told Sara.

"I knew about his age give or take." Sara replied. "But what does that mean? You're like an uncle or something. Or am I a cousin?"

"No. We call the kin in our family born off the loom in Gallifrey cousins but the bond I formed with you is not the same."

"The loom?"

"Before Gallifrey was destroyed our species didn't procreate like yours. We had family looms which we spun new life from our genetic material." Ten explained.

"Sort of like cloning?"

"Similar concepts. A bit more advanced." Nine said.

"So, you're not like my uncle or cousin." Sara repeated, feeling profoundly confused.

Ten sat down next to her shaking his head. "The closest relationship it would be is a father."

"A father." Sara repeated slowly trying to wrap her mind around the concept.

"Yes and since Rose is bonded to me through marriage as part of my house, the three of us are a family."

Sara looked at Nine uneasily. _Oh this is getting weird. _"Did you know about this?"

Nine's face looked grim. "Lost my entire dimension, like you. Every companion and friend I ever met. I couldn't lose you too."

Ten's face became ashen. "I'm sorry, Sara. I'm so, so sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry about Christina, about Adelaide…"

"If I wasn't there, it wouldn't have happened." Guilt overwhelmed her as she glanced at Nine. "His universe would still exist and-"

"NO!" Ten took her arms firmly. "It doesn't work that way. We are not fixed points and this was my fault, my responsibility."

"But you tried to take Lilly to keep her from rewriting your past and you-"

"And I was wrong. I seem to remember you warning me." Ten said.

"You didn't listen."

Ten was suddenly struck by one of Sara where the man he recognized as the Valeyard was comforting her at the same time.

"Who said I didn't? I'm listening now." Repeating the words of his future regeneration garnered her attention. "I remember every word."

"How did you know about that? You're not supposed to learn that until your next regeneration." She swallowed nervously.

"I saw it in your mind. Time has already been rewritten." He told her sadly.

"A family." She echoed hollowly. "My family's gone."

"So is mine." Rose's grief was clear is her voice. "But we can help each other, yeah?"

"It won't replace them. I…" Sara's voice trailed off.

"Nothin' will and it shouldn't." Nine said, his own sorrow was plain. "'S something new. Not many get that chance."

"I promise I'll do better." Ten told Sara. "I'll make it up to you."

"What happened to 'no second chances'?" She challenged. Both Rose and Nine looked perplexed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asked.

"It's something I used to say." Ten explained warily and Nine suddenly understood as he was fervent about giving his opponents a chance to stand down before he had to implement a more drastic solution.

"Sara, that isn't me anymore. I swear it isn't and now that you have my name properly, your mind is protected and I can-"

"Did you have any idea how terrifying that was to have the TARDIS start dumping all those images in my head?" Sara clearly remembered her horror at the time she was forced to endure it. "Experiencing your Time War?"

"Yes." Ten grimaced. "I felt it both times and it does get better. I can help."

"Help?" Sara asked cautiously. "Help how?"

"Help your mind cope with the overload. Teach you how to speak Gallifreyian. Eventually you can learn how to navigate the TARDIS just like us." Ten explained.

"But I killed the last one and-"

"She was already dyin'" Nine told her sadly. "Just a matter of time."

"But what if," Sara glanced at her hands thinking of all the dangerous particles inside of her and she remembered all to clearly Nine's horrified expression when he found out her body was creating them. "What if something goes wrong?" She turned to Ten. "You said I was dangerous. My energy was a weapon so what if I hurt the TARDIS or someone else. I can't-"

Nine took a swift intake of air as Ten suddenly gripped her hands. "You won't because you're not a weapon."

"But you both said I could destroy the universe." A tear ran down her cheek. "I tried to die so I wouldn't."

Nine swallowed hard. "Didn't know then what we know now." They should of told her before as their mistakes nearly cost all their companion's their lives but now they were all alive and safe for the moment.

"You remember when you saw me on the derelict fields?" Ten asked. "You thought I was dying?"

Why was he asking her this again? They'd already been through this. "Right." She agreed. Was this some sort of mental status test? "When you healed yourself." Sara confirmed.

"Except I didn't." Ten told her. "I don't self heal like that Sara. I would have regenerated."

"But I thought I saw…" Her voice trailed.

"I didn't heal Rose either." He told her softly.

"But she's alive." Sara stated glancing at Rose in disbelief.

"Because you healed her just like you healed me."

Sara scrambled off the bed, pressing her back against the wall, finding her legs sinking to her feet. "No, I can't! All this time, you told me I was a weapon! I saw what I did to the Cybermen with my-"

Ten approached her. "That was me, depolarizing your energy against them, not you."

"But why couldn't I save Christina then? Why did she have to die?" Sara's voice started to tremble.

"Neither of us knew at the time." Ten told her gently kneeling down in front of her. "Her death was never your fault. She was my companion therefore my responsibility, not yours."

"Who's Christina?" Rose asked quietly.

"An old companion that died on Mars." Ten told her quietly.

It was starting to make sense, Sara's accusation regarding Nine's half truth towards her bringing up Mars as a reference point where his counterpart had not only attempted to break a fixed point in time, she had been forced to watch her own friend die right in front of her.

"He's right." Nine told her. "No way you could of known."

"I still could of saved her and I left her body to rot and now she's gone." Sara's tears started to flow more freely.

"How could you have saved her?" Ten asked. "You didn't know you could heal and I certainly didn't give you the chance."

She shook her head. "It was my fault. I should of never asked her to come."

His hands were on her shoulders. "No, I should have never brought you there in the first place." He said gently.

In her mind, she felt his concern amidst all her grief and her guilt as she finally broke down, wrapping her arms around herself unable to suppress all the shame she had been suppressing for so long.

Immediately, Ten wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, stroking her hair whispering words of consolation in her ear as she continued to cry in earnest.

He felt all the overwhelming emotions echo from his puerile as he held her close, not wishing to ever let go. His bond with her so much deeper then those of his kin, he had a daughter again, anchored to him, something he hadn't felt since Gallifrey. He almost lost her when she poured her life saving energy into healing Rose and in reflection, he held Sara tighter closing his eyes. _Never again. _They would start again and he would make things better. He know he could.

Time seemed to pass and then he felt Sara's weight shift as he glanced down noticing her out pouring of emotions had depleted her and she had drifted off to sleep.

"'S all right, yeah?" Rose asked, concerned momentarily that she might have returned to her previous comatose state.

Nine came forward briefly, running a scan and smiled. "Only asleep." He glanced at the three of them. "Will leave you to it then." With that, he quietly left the sickbay.

"Going to get something to eat." Rose said. "Be back. Want anything from the galley?"

Ten shook his head, smiling at his wife at her consideration of the offer. She departed and for a while, he was simply content to hold his sleeping puerile, gratified she had returned to him and was safe there in his arms. An hour past but it didn't matter as he gazed down at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, taking in her relaxed features.

Rose returned and finally Ten lifted Sara back up into his arms putting her back on the Medbay bed, which sprung to life as he studied the Gallifreyian writing while initiating the ADT to do one last diagnostic. Rose came close to Sara, taking her hand. "Blimey." She said, having a thought. "If she's your daughter and I'm your wife then does that make me her mum?"

Ten chuckled. "I wouldn't let her here you say that."

Rose just shook her head. "'S just not right. She's six years older."

Ten paused in consideration thinking of the children spun from the loom in Gallifrey. "I would stick with cousin. It's safer." He said, thinking of Sara's temperament.

He suddenly froze studying the results of the ADT scan as he glanced at Rose, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's not what's wrong…" He started to say as he picked up a device from the table, and began scanning Rose. "The same energy wavelength patterns that are in Sara are also in you." He was grinning fervently at her.

Rose was relatively uncertain why this seemed like apparent good news since Sara, when she did heal, nearly died in the attempt in keeping her alive. What did that mean for Rose?

Noticing Rose's concern, Ten immediately restated himself. 'It's not the same. It's not self-replicating and I believe you only obtain it through physical contact. Didn't show up in a prior scan." Rose dropped Sara's hand.

"There you see, the wavelengths are fading now." He explained.

"So?" Rose asked, perplexed.

"Sara's capable of self healing and her cells are in a constant state of flux or self renewal. She will live far longer then any human because of the energy inside her." He struggled to put it simply for Rose. "When she healed you, somehow the two of you connected. When you touched her, your cells fluctuated and recharged." He felt suffused with joy. "You'll live as long as Sara is alive which by the state of her cellular repair, both your aging processes have nearly frozen!"

Ten looked at his wife and his puerile with such utter gratitude, thankful he wouldn't be condemned to watching them both die in the usual short human life span. In the last day, he nearly faced the possibility of losing them both but now Sara made it possible for him to have a real family that would last the centuries with him just like he would on Gallifrey.

Sara started to open her eyes, glancing around in confusion as she found herself back on the medbay bed again.

"I didn't pass out again, did I?" She muttered.

"No." The Doctor told her gently. "Just fell asleep but you're going to have to take it easy. You were on life support for over a day." He swallowed and she could feel his latent grief. "I nearly lost you."

"But I'm here so you must have-" Sara started to say.

"You self healed. Your cells are consistently recharging and when you healed Rose you altered her aging process as well." He told her.

Sara frowned. "You mean, neither of us will die?"

"It is difficult to put a timetable on this. Several centuries, possibly." The Doctor estimated.

Both girls gasped as Rose looked down at herself. "I have to be eighteen for the rest of my life?" She asked looking at Sara. "Won't even be able to buy a drink in the states."

Sara shook her head. "I didn't even know I was healing you. I just felt all this sorrow both times and then," She frowned. "I couldn't move. I didn't know why."

"Strong empathy must of triggered the ability but you need to be careful when using it in the future." He advised. "Channeling that kind of energy resulted in temporary depletion and momentary loss of movement.

Sara was already imagining all the people she could save in the Doctor's timeline, wondering whether it was safe to intercede. Not to mention the potential of healing those from various life threatening ailments from which there was no cure. She had been told so long that she was a weapon, she was eager to make up for lost time.

She pushed herself off the bed. "But if I learn how to use it, I could help people right? I mean, people in hospitals that have terminals diseases. I can cure them. Make up for lost time."

"Sara, we need to take time to study this." He blocked her path as she was about to head out of the sickbay. "And you should be resting. I don't want you to start making lists of people to save right now."

"And I don't want to spend another second in here." Scowling at the thought of the sickbay.

"All right, then, I can take you back to your room."

"I-" She paused frowning. There were a lot of bad memories attached with her old room and Rose immediately understood her consternation.

"Don't think she wants to be in the same place she was locked up in." Rose explained.

Ten ran his hand through his hair, nodding, remembering the time all to well. "Of course. There are many other rooms. You can pick any one you want. I'll show you. No locks, I promise."

"Could I have Christina's cup still?" Sara asked timidly.

_The Cup of Athelstan. _He thought. He remembered how she clung to that as a memento and it was only natural that she would want that piece of Christina with her.

"I'll get it for you." As far as he was concerned, Rose was right. There should be no reason why Sara should have to step into an ugly reminder of the past. He led Sara down the corridor to a hallway that contained several rooms for his puerile to choose from, keeping a close eye on her. This was about their new start and he wasn't about to lose her again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So he gave you back your cup."

Sara turned to see Lilly at her door and smiled beckoning her forward,

"Told you he would." Lilly said as she looked at it in admiration. She remembered it from the episode, 'The Planet of the Dead' but seeing it up close like this was another thing entirely. "Could I see it?"

"Sure." Sara said, handing the cup over as Lilly admired the etchings on the surface.

"You know this is worth eighteen million pounds?" Lilly asked.

"Something around it. Never got to that part." Sara told her. "I crashed the bus before it got to the tunnel to save the driver."

"No one else got killed?" Lilly asked in shock.

"Surprisingly not but the driver had me arrested." Sara reflected. "Christina broke us out and we went to a pub."

"I wish I could of met her." Lilly said.

Sara felt tears coming to her eyes when she thought of Christina dying right before her on Mars. "Me too. You would have liked her."

"I like your new room." Lilly, changed the subject as she admired the forest green overtones. "Favorite color?"

"No, actually it was blue but after being locked in there for weeks…"

"Well this is definitely a good change. It's right next to mine." Lilly said.

"I'm sorry about your old TARDIS." Sara sympathized. "Ten is being okay, right. He's helping you and..."

"He's fine." Lilly assured her. "Although was very concerned for the last two days that I was eating and sleeping. Wanted to know if I wanted some device in my room that would program me not to dream." She grimaced. "Where would he get an idea to do…" She glanced at Sara who was shaking her head with a faint smile on her lips.

"It's from me. Had nightmares when I first came on board so he used it on me. Just say no. I don't think he'll make you."

"He didn't." Lilly replied. "It was just kind of funny."

"Right." Sara raised her eyebrows. "See if you're still laughing after he commands you to sleep for the third time and you wake up twelve hours later."

Lilly grimaced and Sara shook her head. "Sorry. I know. That's not who he is now but it's just hard to forget sometimes."

"I actually came to talk to you about something to like that." Lilly started.

"What?" Sara asked.

"Well, you know we both altered the timeline. Two Doctors here. Ten didn't regenerate. Time has been rewritten so our knowledge is not going to be like it was on the show." Lilly explained. "I don't know what's going to happen with River but considering the circumstances, the changes that have happened, maybe we can ask the Doctors to let us go. We can lead as normal lives as possible maybe in London. We'll have to stay away from Cardiff and stay quiet about anything regarding the Doctor's timeline but in a few years, it won't matter anyway, right?"

"You think they'll agree?" Sara actually started to begin to hope. Maybe it was possible. She and Lilly might not be from the same dimension but hers was a parallel reality and they had similar experiences. They could get jobs, friends, have normal experiences that didn't put their lives in day-to-day danger.

"They'll know where we live so they can check in and visit occasionally. Maybe travel occasionally if we choose somewhere safe. If we ask, assure them how careful we'll be, I think it would work out. Besides, what's the use of time sensitivity if time has been rewritten, right?" Lilly asked.

"Well, we were never time sensitive in the first place." Sara scornfully shook her head. "Honestly, that word, it sounds like I'm allergic to time."

Lilly started to laugh. "You're right, it does but don't say that to Nine or Ten. I think they'll get offended and we do need to get them to agree on this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had all returned to the café to say their goodbyes to Wilfred who looked upon them all fondly as they finished nursing their cups of tea.

"Two Doctors. Never thought I would live to see it. Wish Donna could." Wilfred told them.

Sara felt regret wishing there was something she could do. "How is she?"

"No worse for wear then anyone else. Still the same old Donna." He smiled. "She asked about you."

Lilly looked perplexed. "Why would she ask about you?" Looking at Sara.

Sara couldn't tell Lilly about the Time Lord consciousness she possessed when both Time Lords were present to hear. No. She would save that for later. Besides, given the fact she could heal, maybe there was something she could do to restore Donna's memories. She had to keep it simple but honest at the same time.

"Well, the Doctor and I, ah, had a run in with her before that didn't go so well." She said glancing directly at Ten whose expression immediately betrayed his guilt.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.

"Oh, sorry." Lilly murmured. There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Well, as enjoyable as this has been…" Everyone chuckled. "I best be getting home. Don't either of you be strangers. I know each of you know how to use a phone."

Sara smiled at Wilfred. If their conversation with Nine and Ten went well, she and Lilly would certainly make the time to visit Wilfred a great deal. His company was rather enjoyable and if there was a way to heal Donna, she would find it.

With a wave, he departed leaving the Doctors with their companions in relative quiet. The café had very few patrons at the current time and Sara felt Lilly grasp her hand in a knowing signal. This was it. She took a deep breath in the attempt to remember who she was before she fell into this universe. Confident, independent and determined. These traits marked who she was and who she would always be regardless of the circumstances. It was time to regain her sense of freedom again in the most diplomatic way possible. Surely the Doctors would agree with them on this after all they endured.

"Lilly and I wanted to ask you both something." Sara started.

Nine raised his eyebrows. "Go on." He sipped his tea while Ten looked at her calmly.

She swallowed. "You know I'm not telling you the future when I'm saying the timeline has changed. You told me time has been rewritten."

"Yup." Ten said, popping the 'p'. He knew the universe with two Doctors, things were going to be affected, perhaps drastically so.

"What we know doesn't account for two Doctors." Lilly explained. "Only one of you and since you haven't regenerated," she said to Ten, "Sara and I don't know what is going to happen." In all honesty, she didn't know how this would ripple across their timeline so she wasn't breaking their deal.

"You don't?" Nine asked in confirmation.

"I'm sorry but that's the truth. We really aren't," Lilly swallowed at the word, "time sensitive anymore. We're just human beings that have seen more then our fair share and I-" Lilly paused glancing at Sara who nodded encouragingly. "I don't want to do it anymore."

"I don't want to do it either." Sara stated adamantly. "I'm glad you changed." She directed to Ten who looked at her in surprise. "I'm happy you and Rose get more time to know each other." She stated awkwardly as Rose looked flustered. "But Lilly and I just want a chance to have a normal life. We think we earned that and we promise, we won't say a word about either of you. I know how to be cautious and if you give us documentation, we can live right here in London. You can check in on us whenever you like so it wouldn't be a good-bye."

"Weeell maybe…" Ten said in consideration as Sara and Lilly glanced at each other in hope.

"Lilly should be in college." Sara spoke in determination. "I would like to start working again. I think it would be safer then traveling."

"We'll stay away from Cardiff, I promise. I'm not much of an adrenaline junkie." Lilly said nervously.

"Don't need to tell me that." Nine said as he examined both girls exchanging a glance with Ten. "So, both of you promise not to cause trouble?"

Sara looked at Lilly and they nodded firmly. "We never wanted trouble in the first place."

"Exactly." Lilly confirmed.

"What's this, then?" Nine asked, removing the iPod from his coat, utilizing his sonic to bring an episode of Dr. Who onto the display.

Lilly looked down at it in horror as Sara watched the episode of 'The End of the World' start to unfold before turning to Lilly, muttering under her breath. "You said that it would cause an event…"

"I didn't know." Lilly murmured. "It's changed."

Suddenly Sara was radiant, as she seized the iPod that Nine dropped in front of them. "Well, then it doesn't matter. I don't have to pretend to confirm or deny this time sensitive crap now do I?" She exclaimed as she scrolled through the episodes herself. "This is exactly how we both knew about you. Not by being psychic or getting information from the time vortex or having delusions but from a TV show! You have it right here!" Excitedly she scrolled to another episode and pushed it in front of Ten. "You see Doomsday when you had to leave Rose in Pete's World."

"'S me!" Rose said in wonder. "'S really me."

"Well in my dimension, you were played by an actress named Billie Piper. But yes, that's how it worked. It was just a show and now you both can see it for yourselves. Lilly and I are not-"

"Sara, you need to calm down." Ten intoned, taking her hand and she felt his concern weighing inside her. Why was he worried? Couldn't he see what was right in front of him?

Lilly was puzzled as she looked at Nine. "You saw them?" She was referring to the episodes.

"Every one." He said seriously.

"But doesn't this show you-?" She started to say.

"Lilly, we talked 'bout this. Had a deal."

Sara looked at Nine with disbelief. "You're not serious. You saw each one and what? We found some duplicates of you and had them act it out for the hell of it? Because we thought it would be fun?"

"'S not what I'm saying."

"Then please, enlighten me." She could feel her anger boiling to the surface and by the look on Ten's face, she knew he could feel it too.

"You have temporal energy from the vortex. Both of you are connected, seeing time the way you do. Particle wavelengths inside you interpreted the information in a way you could both understand." Nine explained. "Didn't know you were healing when-"

"You have got to be KIDDING me! Sara shouted as she yanked her hand free from Ten, jumping to her feet glaring at the two Time Lords.

"Sara, 'S all right. We can help-"

"No!" She screamed at them drawing the attention of the baristas at the counter. "You're not going to tell me I'm delusional or having fantasies again because I'm not TIME SENSITIVE! Neither is Lilly! If anyone is crazy, it's the two of you!"

"Sara, I'm sorry-" Ten tried.

"Oh, you're sorry. That's so easy for you to say now. Did you have fun lying to me all those times? Playing along?" She was shaking in rage. "You should of done me a favor Doctor when I was on that bridge." She started to back away. "Had the decency to let me jump!" She screamed.

Ten's sonic device was on the table right in front of her and Sara briefly considered grabbing it but she knew Nine still had his and the TARDIS was right there. It would be a useless endeavor so instead she simply bolted out the door and fled down the street.

They were both giving chase and she could feel Ten's worry pressing directly inside her mind but she pushed herself to go faster. _Simple minded morons. _She had managed to lose Ten before and she was bound by determination but now he was inside her head. _Sara…stop_

She shook her head to push away the thought but could still hear them behind her as she weaved her way in and out of pedestrians. _They'll lock me up if they catch me. _She thought frantically. _I can't… _She crossed the street amidst the blaring sound of horns heading through an alley onto another sidewalk but she still hadn't managed to shake them.

"Sara!" Nine yelled after her. She started to panic as she continued in her sprint, feeling fatigue starting to set into her legs while a cramp formed in her chest. They were going to catch her and drag her back to the TARDIS. She would be trapped and both of them would consider her delusional. A sob started in her throat and then she saw a familiar person just about to get into a parked car, only just across the intersection.

"Donna!" She screamed in desperation as she headed directly to her. "Donna, please help me!"

Donna immediately turned recognizing the girl that was approaching her but completely astounded since it had been nearly a year since she had seen her last. "Sara?" She took her arms. "What's wrong?" Donna was with her fiancé who only looked at this new stranger in confusion. "Old friend." Donna explained to which he nodded.

"It's him. Please! Can you get me out of here?" Sara pleaded.

Donna glanced behind her seeing the man she had remembered who had viciously dragged Sara off and somehow rendered her unconscious just across the street. She always had a bad feeling about him and regretted never calling the police in what she suspected was a kidnapping. "Of course, get inside." She assured Sara.

Hurriedly, the three got entered the vehicle and swiftly, Donna drove off eager to get her friend to safety.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why'd you stop me." Nine demanded as they watched the car disappear with Sara inside. "Nearly had her."

"That was my best friend Sara drove off with." Ten told him as he quickly explained the details of the Time Lord metacrisis. "If she sees either of us and remembers, her mind will burn and she will die."

"And Sara knew that." Nine swore fervently. How was he going to get his ward back?

"Oddly enough, when I gave Sara a choice of places to visit, she wanted to see Donna and Donna remembered her but not me." Ten was still puzzled by that experience. "Still it's too risky."

"Remembered her? She say why?" Nine was perplexed. That wasn't how the procedure normally worked.

"Didn't really follow up. Used a sleep command on Sara because I thought the Doctor-Donna was starting to re-emerge."

"Knocking people out can't be a default answer. Think you know that." Nine told him.

Ten was overwhelmed with worry for his puerile since as far as he was concerned, she was his child and he clenched his jaw at the very state she was in right now. He could feel her desperation and anxiety but he was just as determined as he was before. He would not lose her again. After all she was his family. "We have to find her." Ten shoved his hands into his coat as he tried to conceive a strategy.

"Will get her back. Always have a plan, me." Nine said and finally Ten nodded as they turned and headed back to the TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lilly could hardly speak as disappointment riddled heavily throughout her mind. Her iPod was left abandoned on the table and with a shaking hand, she picked it up, staring at the screen, feeling tears start to blur her vision.

"You all right?" Rose asked.

Lilly shook her head, swallowing hard as she got up from the table and slowly returned to the TARDIS, making her way to her new room. Both Nine and Ten were in pursuit of Sara who had completely lost her temper and fled. Lilly couldn't blame her but it wouldn't serve her to act that impulsively. She had to come up with a new plan since the one they had failed so miserably and there was no way she could have expected that either Doctor would use her iPod episodes as proof of their time sensitivity.

"Time Lord stupidity." She muttered as she made her way down the corridor. "Complete Time Lord stupidity."

"Don't need to tell me." Rose said, startling Lilly. "'S obvious."

"You believe me?" Lilly looked at the blond.

"Not sure what to believe to be honest." Rose confessed. "Could you tell me?"

"You can't tell either of the Doctors, you swear?" Lilly glanced around before pulling Rose into her room. Compared with where she stayed last, her new quarters that Ten had offered her were downright amazing. The walls were covered in vast overtone of burgundy, rimmed with green with the carpet a matching complementary shade to perfectly set off the exterior. Not to mention, the oak furniture, which came complete with a bookcase with a full collection of Charles Dicken's novels right next to her bed. "To get you started." Ten had said as her smile lit up the room. It was a far better gift then the tech gadget he offered that would induce her to sleep although she politely decided not to make the comparison at the time.

"The Doctor set up blocks so he can't hear my thoughts." Rose assured Lilly. "Know I won't say anything. Promise."

Lilly collapsed on the bed and proceeded to tell Rose everything and it felt so alleviating to finally confess the burden she had been carrying. She explained to Rose that she wasn't from this universe and that in hers the show had been fiction, which was how she was able to know the future. She also told her that the Doctor didn't believe it when she tried to tell him because she didn't have any void matter on her.

"Void matter?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, it's this stuff that cushions realities apart and protects them in case of paradox…" Her voice trailed thinking of what happened to Rose's dimension.

"Kay, so you didn't have void matter but what about Sara, didn't she? Why don't they believe her?" Rose looked genuinely confused.

"Oh she did but she came in with time energy which they think just helped reinforce the illusion in her mind or something. It's insane that they are so set against the idea but then I guess that just reinforces the fact they really are the same person." Lilly said bitterly.

"So 'S really just a show on the tele from where you and Sara were from?" Rose asked looking amazed.

"Do you believe me?" Lilly looked at her pleadingly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rose replied. "With all that we've seen I-" Rose was interrupted as Lilly embraced Rose fiercely. "Thank you. You don't know what that means to me. Just please, remember, don't say a word about it to either of them."

"I won't." Lilly released her and Rose smiled. "I swear."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ten dragged his hand across his face and clenched his jaw upon overhearing the entirety of the conversation between Rose and Lilly. _And I didn't think things could get any worse._

"We may have just a bit of a problem with your ward." He told Nine whose face suddenly became grave as Ten began to relay all the details he had garnered from Rose's mind. Rose might not have felt his presence to know that he was listening in but he was always mindful and vigilant when it came to her. He wanted to do right by Lilly but this was one confidence he could not allow her to keep and with all Lilly had endured, it was better to address the strain on her sanity now before it got progressively worse.

**A/N: Well a big thanks to Christie - Flare who was the main inspiration behind the iPod scene which was so much fun to write and implement. More to come on that in the next chapter. Thanks to Lostiesgirl for the title suggestion. Please review because like these two, we get great ideas from reviewers like all of you!**


	10. The Scientist

Ten dragged his hand across his face and clenched his jaw upon overhearing the entirety of the conversation between Rose and Lilly. _And I didn't think things could get any worse._

"We may have just a bit of a problem with your ward." He told Nine whose face suddenly became grave as Ten began to relay all the details he had garnered from Rose's mind. Rose might not have felt his presence to know that he was listening in but he was always mindful and vigilant when it came to her. He wanted to do right by Lilly but this was one confidence he could not allow her to keep and with all Lilly had endured, it was better to address the strain on her sanity before it got progressively worse.

"She lied." Nine's face was hard. All the openness, all the connection he'd felt with his ward suddenly closed off. He felt betrayed, hurt, lied too. "She broke the deal. No," he breathed, "She never kept it."

"I think I'm more worried about Lilly than Sara," said Ten. "At least we know exactly how Sara feels. She's honest in what she thinks. Apparently, Lilly's better at keeping secrets. We'll have to watch her more closely." Ten looked over at his double, and recognized the emotions on his face. He knew the other man was hurt.

"How much more do I have to lose?" said Nine. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Not sure I can take much more."

"I'm sorry," offered Ten. "I really am." He felt partly responsible for what Nine had lost. He knew he'd taken Nine's Rose. He'd destroyed the man's universe. And now he'd just destroyed any trust he'd developed with his ward, his friend. "Maybe I should talk to her," Ten offered. "You might not be in the best place to deal with her right now."

Nine nodded, staring off in the distance. "Maybe." He looked at the other Time Lord. "She still has our name. Need to get that from her. She can't have it."

"I know." Nine looked at Ten. "I'll be gentle. I promise." Nine nodded.

When the two Time Lords made it back to the TARDIS, Nine moved towards the controls to put them into the vortex, while Ten moved down the corridor towards Lilly's room. He ran.

"Rose?" He knocked on Lilly's door, and opened it. The two girls were sitting on Lilly's bed. Lilly looked upset. Rose looked concerned. "I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Kay." Rose climbed off the bed. "Did you find Sara?" she asked.

"Not yet."

Rose stepped into the hallway, and he pulled the door closed. "Whats the matter? Is she alright?" She could feel Ten's worry.

"I think so," he answered. "But this isn't about Sara." Ten looked Rose in the eyes. "You're going to be angry." He put his hands in his pockets, and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. Please don't be angry."

Rose looked concerned. "Wha' is it?"

"I thought you understood," Ten began. He took a deep breath, hesitating. He knew this wasn't going to be good. "The blocks in your mind..." He stopped.

"Yeah. Go on." Now she was really starting to wonder.

"The blocks only block you. They don't block me. You can't hear me. But unless you go to that place in your mind the other Doctor showed you, unless you center yourself, I hear everything."

Rose was quiet. She was stunned. "You... You hear everything?"

"Yeaaaah. Well. Yeah. Everything." He glanced at Rose's face.

"So, everything I just thought while I was talking with Lilly."

"Well, everything you put into words in your mind and..."

"And?"

Ten could feel the shock giving way to worry coming from Rose. "Everything you say or hear." The worry was quickly replaced by fear, fear and anger.

Rose covered her mouth and took a step back. "Oh, my..."

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry. I thought you understood. I thought..."

"You heard everything." She clenched her jaw.

"I try to ignore it. Your stray thoughts. I know you're not used to controlling them. You're only human, so..."

"Only human," Rose spat back at him. "As opposed to wha'! An almighty Time Lord! A rude, heartless, manipulative, arrogant, no-it-all, peeping Tom." She looked as angry as his original Rose looked when they'd fought about her saving her dad.

Ten swallowed. He'd been prepared for Rose to be angry, and he knew she was only venting her frustration. But it still hurt. He clenched his jaw. "Now, wait a sec."

"At least humans don't destroy whole universes," she accused. Her words cut him. They cut him to his core. But not as much as her slap, the slap that never connected. Ten caught her hand by the wrist only inches from his cheek. Super Time Lord biology. He pressed his lips together, and scowled at her. Then in one swift move, he pulled her forward and raised his other hand to backhand her across the face. Rose's eyes widened for only a moment before she squeezed them shut and cringed in anticipation of being struck. She waited for the blow. She waited, and... She opened her eyes to see Ten frozen in the position about to hit her.

"Is this how we're going to communicate from now on?" the powerful Time Lord asked her. "Is this better than telepathy. Because I've got to say, Rose. I think I'd be much better at it than you are. I could break you. I could break you without even getting winded. Is that what you want?" Ten could feel the shock and fear running through his wife's mind. "Tell me, all mighty human. Is it acceptable in your superior Earthly society for a husband to hit his wife?" Rose couldn't say anything. She was terrified. "What if she deliberately did something particularly vial or rude? What if she betrayed her husband's trust? Is it acceptable then?" He raised his hand a little higher like he was preparing to strike.

"No!" shouted Rose. "Don't!"

"Then why would it ever be acceptable for a wife to hit her husband?" Ten released his grip and dropped both hands to his sides. He stepped back, giving Rose her space. He still scowled at her, locking is eyes to hers. "You would never put up with it, and neither will I."

"I just want you out of my head," she answered loudly.

"That's not going to happen. So, get used to it." She could feel his anger in spite of the blocks.

"You should have left me alone! You should have let the Master bond with me! Then at least now I would have some privacy!" She was tired of feeling humiliated, exposed. How could anyone live like this?

"Maybe I should have," answered Ten. Had his original Rose ever been like this? Had she ever been so immature? So...irrational? Maybe it would have been better if he let her bond with the Master. She'd be suffering right now, but maybe she'd prefer that to being linked with him. His frown deepened, and he tried to tamp down the hurt ripping through his hearts. "It's too late now."

"Just stay away from me!" Rose turned and ran.

"Rose," Ten called out. He took several steps to follow her, but stopped. He could feel she wanted to be alone. She wanted to be as far away from him as she could get. The lonely Time Lord watched as the girl he loved disappeared down the long corridor of his ship. He took in a staggered breath. "Rose," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He looked at the ground before he turned towards Lilly's door. He knew dealing with Lilly probably wouldn't be any easier than dealing with Rose.

He knocked on Lilly's door again, then opened it. "Can we talk?" he offered.

"Sure. What's up?" Lilly tried to make her voice sound light. But Ten saw through it. He saw through her pretended smile too. Now that he knew how often she kept her real feelings hidden, he was watching for the subtle clues he normally would have missed. She was still sitting on her bed, playing with a loose string on her jeans. He pulled a chair out from under the desk he'd given her, and sat down. He hoped lowering himself closer to her eye level would make him seem less threatening. "Where's Rose?"

Ten smiled. "I think she went for a walk," he answered. For a moment he hesitated, trying to think of how to begin. "So, how are you doing?"

"Fine."

Ok. Maybe the direct approach would work better. "Do you believe you're from a universe where everything you know about me comes from a tele program?"

Lilly looked up at the Doctor. She didn't know he knew everything she'd told Rose. She didn't know he was testing her. And she was surprised at how direct his question was. "That would be pretty silly. Wouldn't it?" she responded.

Nine stiffened. After putting the TARDIS into the vortex, he'd come down the corridor towards Lilly's room. He was so angry, so hurt by what she'd done though, he didn't dare go in. Instead, he stood in the hallway away from view, but where he could hear what was going on. He'd instantly recognized she was dodging the question, and wondered how many times he hadn't noticed her doing that in the past.

"Do you believe you're from a universe where everything you know about me comes from a tele program?" Ten repeated.

"Why would I believe that?" she countered.

"Do you or not?" Ten's voice was firm, and Lilly felt almost compelled to answer. She swallowed.

"The other Doctor said that's not it. So, that's that. Right?" Ten sighed, and ran his hands back and forth through his hair. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, and looking her in the eyes. "Lilly, I'm trying to help you. But I can't do that if you won't talk to me."

Her smile slipped away as she looked back at the loose thread on her jeans. Ten waited patiently. "If..." She swallowed. "If someone..." Lilly licked her lips. "If the other Time Lords were still alive..." She glanced up at him. She had his full attention. She'd never dreamed how uncomfortable it would feel to have Ten's full attention. It felt like he was looking right through her, like he could see everything. "and they thought you were dangerous," she continued. "Not that you were. But they thought you were. So, they took away your TARDIS, and stuck you in one time in one place." Lilly was thinking of what happened when the Time Lords had executed Two, and stranded his next incarnation on Earth. She hoped this would help Ten to see where she was coming from. She hoped it would help him to let her go. "And you'd be stuck not traveling for the rest of your lives, forever. How would you feel?"

"This isn't about me."

"You said you wanted to help. You said you needed me to talk. So, I'm talking. But if you're going to help, you need to answer the question." She looked up at Ten with a look that pleaded for him to answer her.

"I'd be pretty upset," he answered. "But what does this have to do with..."

"Would you take it?" she asked, cutting him off.

"What?"

"Would you do as the other Time Lords said? Or would you do everything in your power to get away?" She looked at him, eyes a little glassy. "Because I know you're built for traveling. You were born to travel the stars, to see different places, to see different times never standing still, never settling down. It's in your blood. It's part of who you are, what you are. But I'm not. I was created to live in one place, one time. I... I need to stay put. And forcing me to travel, forcing Sara to travel, is just as cruel as forcing you to stay, trapping you in a living nightmare." Ten noticed Lilly's hands were trembling. He swallowed. She sure had a way with words. "This," she waved her shaky hand around the room, "is just a gilded cage." He could see the tears in her eyes. "I want to go home," she pleaded. She frowned trying not to cry. "I just want to go home."

"You can't," said Ten quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But you can't."

"But I'm not time sensitive anymore," she argued. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Like you didn't know Sara was going to wake up when I asked you?"

"What?"

"Or like how you helped the other Doctor find the morgue and the center of the rift when you went to 1869? He told me what you did. Sara's the same way," he explained. "When you were missing, she used her gift to find you. You and Sara will always be time sensitive. You can't see anything right now because time is adjusting to being rewritten. Your sense will come back when things click into place. But even now if you tried, you could sense things." The Doctor took in a deep breath. "There are creatures out there, monsters, who would love to get their hands on someone like you. Leaving you without the protection of the TARDIS would have horrific side effects. Even if there was some way to guarantee your safety, the damage you could do to time is profound. You need training and protection." The Doctor sat back in his chair. "But you never believed you were time sensitive in the first place. Did you?"

"How can you think I am, when the videos are right here?" she asked, picking up her iPod.

Ten blew out a long breath. At least she was talking. And she'd basically all but admitted to not believing she was time sensitive. But it was obvious she didn't understand. And explaining it well enough was going to be difficult.

"The human brain uses... Oh, about 300 kilocalories give or take every 22 hours. With more than... Well, 1,000 trillion synaptic connections, it uses the energy from those calories to fuel electrochemical neurotransmitters. Each neuron has a little ion pump in its plasma membrane which..." Lilly's eyes began to glass over, and the Doctor stopped. "Right." He nodded. "Your thoughts," he tried a different approach, "are electrical impulses jumping from synapse to synapse. Do you understand that?"

Lilly nodded.

"Right. Now, an iPod works on flash memory. That's thousands and thousands of micro transistors separated by a compound. Each transistor is programmed to let a current in and send a current out much like the human brain, but on a very, VERY simplified scale. It's electrical impulses jumping from transistor to transistor instead of synapse to synapse. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He nodded. "That's good." He shifted his position back to leaning his elbows on his knees. "Under the right circumstances human electrical impulses can be transferred from synapse to transistor. In the 30th century humans begin using devices to load basic memories, and by the 50th they commonly use a neural relay in all their communication devices to send thought mail. Imagine that, Lilly. Imagine sending thought mail."

"Neural relay?" Why did that sound familiar. _Oh! _"The data ghost at The Library."

Ten suddenly sat back, startled by what she'd said. He looked dumbfounded at the human before he could force himself to relax. He deliberately leaned forward resting on his elbows again, trying to appear calm. "There. You see. You're still time sensitive." He smiled at her. "You just picked up on something hundreds of years in the future just by thinking about it."

"No, I..." What could she say? Why would he believe her? He had all this scientific explanation, and she had nothing, nothing but her word. Lilly closed her eyes. She brought her knees up and rested her forehead on them. What had she done? She'd let something slip. She hadn't kept her mouth shut. He'd never believe her now. She'd ruined any chance of him believing she was no longer time sensitive.

"The point is you or Sara or both of you transferred your thoughts to that device. That's why the videos are there. It's not because there's a tele program. It's because that's how you perceive time. When I was in Sara's mind, I saw how she saw an alternate time line. And it's exactly what's on that device."

Lilly's heart sank. That was it. There was no chance of either Doctor ever believing her. They were the same man after all. They knew the same science, understood time the same way. And with neither Doctor ever believing her, there was never going to be a chance of her going home. This was it. She'd lost everyone, her mom and dad, all her sisters, her little brother, her friends, everyone.

"Do you believe me?"

"I... I suppose it's possible," answered Lilly. She was still sidestepping his question. "Yes or No." Nine leaned against the doorframe. "And don't lie." His tone was accusing. Lilly looked at him, puzzled, but didn't say anything. "Cat got your tongue?"

She thought about Jacks rules. She thought about everything that had happened. She thought about the Doctors rules. Then she decided. "You know a lot, Doctor. But you're wrong about this. I'm not time sensitive. I'm from an alternate universe where your life is a TV show." She inhaled. "I won't lie to you. I won't break our deal."

Nine pursed his lips, then pressed them into a frown. How could she say that about the deal after what she'd done? "Fine," said Nine. "There's another issue. You know our name," he said, getting right to the point. He looked at Ten.

"I need to remove it," said Ten simply. Lilly scrambled to her feet on the opposite side of the bed. "I can put you to sleep, so you won't even notice me removing it," he offered.

"But you can't keep it." Neither Doctor could allow someone who lied to them to keep their name.

"Is that what you're going to do with Sara?" she asked.

"No," Ten answered simply. "I gave her my name. It's hers. But I didn't give it to you. You can't keep it."

"But why?"

"Don't trust you," answered Nine from behind her. "You've been lying."

"No. I... I haven't broken our deal. I swear. Why would you think..." Nine went on to list everything he knew she'd been lying about. "And then there's the vortex manipulator you've been hiding."

Lilly inhaled sharply. She moved over to the desk on the other side of the room, and pulled out the vortex manipulator. She tossed it to Ten, who looked at it. "Is this..."

"It's Jacks," she answered.

"Who's Jack," asked Nine.

"He would have been your future companion. He was a time agent, and your friend."

Nine was stunned. "I'm not friends with time agents."

"No, she's right," said Ten. "I traveled with Jack for a while until... Well. Not the point, I suppose. The point is, however, why do you have this?"

"I met him on Platform One," explained Lilly. "He had me use it to help stop a paradox. He told me I was from an alternate universe. He said I couldn't tell you about any of it without putting the universe at risk." She looked at Nine. "I guess it doesn't matter now, since the universe is gone. But he gave it to me to give back to him when our time lines matched up, so it would be there in the future when I needed to use it to stop a paradox in my past." Lilly paused, putting a hand on her head. "Did that make sense?" she asked. "I think I got lost in all that."

Ten chuckled. "English isn't the best language for describing time travel, but yes, it made sense."

"Everything I kept secret was because he told me to. I couldn't risk the universe. I didn't break the deal." She looked between the two Time Lords. "Do you trust me now?"

Nine inhaled and his features softened.

"Good ole' Jack," said Ten. "It's been a while since I've seen him." He stood up and looked at Lilly. "So, you believe you were from an alternate dimension because that's what Jack said?"

"Yeah. I didn't know what happened before he explained it."

"Is that the time traveler you mentioned when we talked on Platform One?" asked Nine.

"Yeah."

He exhaled in relief at her answer. He knew it had something to do with the time agency. It could have been so much worse. He smiled. "Lilly Brooks. Well done. You didn't break our deal."

"So, so can I keep your name."

"Nope. Not something I just give out to every companion." Nine was still concerned about Lilly going insane. She was still time sensitive. And she was still having a very hard time dealing with that. Maybe... Maybe someday he'd give her his name. But not yet. Not today.

Lilly's heart sank. Of course that's all she was. She wasn't Rose. She certainly wasn't Sara. She was just another companion. Why would she ever be able to keep something so special?

"And what if I say no."

"Now, lets not go there," said Ten.

"'S not yours, Lilly. Can't keep what doesn't belong to you." Nine still leaned against the doorframe. But his words were firm.

"Fine." Lilly's hands still trembled slightly, and her heart was in her throat. She briefly thought of asking Nine to remove it instead of Ten. But then she remembered Jacks warning about not letting him in her mind. Maybe the reason for that no longer existed, but she couldn't risk it. Lilly walked over to Ten. "Go ahead." Tears came to her eyes.

Ten raised his fingers to her temples. _Sleep_. The command came. And as her lashes fluttered closed in response tears were pushed out of her eyes, and slid down her cheeks.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Where are we going?" Sara asked nervously as Donna turned the car into a busy parking lot. She could still feel her heart reverberating in her ears at her very near capture by both Nine and Ten.

"Where I should have gotten help for you a year ago." Donna answered pulling up in front of Scotland Yard. "Knew that man was bad news and the way he dragged you a away, kicking and screaming, should of listened to my instincts. Gramps told me he knew him but I thought it was all wrong and-"

"Donna, wait, Scotland Yard can't help me." Sara said frantically. "He'll still find me." "Who is she talking about?" Shaun Temple, Donna's fiancé asked.

"Some bloke from the dark ages that kidnapped her right in front of me." Donna said, shaking her head in regret. "She's jus' traumatized."

Shaun gave Sara a look of sympathy. "I'm so sorry." He professed. Sara looked at the Doctor's former companion as a thought came to her mind. "Donna, do you think I could just speak to you alone for a minute? It's about how we met. Remember how you thought I was familiar?"

Donna glanced at Shaun and gave him a nod. "Do you mind waiting outside a tic?" She asked.

"Nope. Going to get a coffee." He stepped out of the vehicle.

Sara took a deep breath knowing that this was the first time she was about to attempt to use her ability on purpose. Prior to this, it had always been on accident but now that she knew she could heal and that empathy was its trigger, she had to try. It was the only way, Donna might possibly understand.

So she summoned all the empathy she felt for Donna's plight, which was considerable remembering how disgusted she felt at the Doctor's violation of his own companion, not even taking her free will into account. She also recalled all the times, Ten violated Sara's own mind, while each time, he commanded her to sleep or penetrated her consciousness against her will and slowly she offered her hand to Donna who immediately accepted.

It was working. She could see the glow radiating off her skin, the particles surging forward, working their way into Donna who gasped as her eyes gave a distinct glow and Sara knew she was starting to remember. Donna suddenly gripped her hand tighter, staring directly at her.

"The Doctor, I remember." Donna shook her head. "I didn't want to go back!" She let out a moan as she started to release her hand and then the glow from her eyes started to fade.

Donna looked perplexed. "Wait, what was I saying? I don't remember." She looked at Sara with confusion.

_No. _Sara thought. _It's not enough. _She seized the woman's hand again and the energy surged forward. _It's our physical contact. It only works as long... _This wasn't good. She couldn't permanently heal Donna this way and tears of desperation came to her eyes as the companion stared at her knowingly once more.

"He took my memories." Donna said frantically.

"I'm so sorry." Sara told her. "I don't have enough-" She paused. "I can't heal it permanently. I don't know how." She whispered as tears welled in her eyes.

Donna bit her lip looking at Sara, swallowing hard. "He didn't even ask what I wanted."

"He didn't ask me either." Sara's tone was plaintive. Donna nodded with quick understanding as she reflected on the memories she knew she only had temporarily. "You're special. What you can do. He's not letting you go is he?"

"I was barely lucky I ran into you." Sara told her.

"Tell me everything as quickly as you can," ordered Donna. Sara began to spill the whole story. She told her about coming from another universe. She told her about being captured and imprisoned and how many times Ten forcefully entered her mind. She told her about Mars, and the Master, and the other alternate universe. She told her about the Valeyard, her dreams, and Lilly. Finally, she told Donna about their escape.

"Then listen, all I can tell you is to run." With Donna's other hand, she grabbed her purse and pulled out a miniature flashlight. "Help me open this." With Sara's other free hand the two women took apart the flashlight. Then Donna opened the fuse box inside the glove box in the car. She began pulling pieces out of it, and manipulating them with her fingernails.

"What are you doing?" asked Sara.

"Making you a perception filter." Donna glanced at Sara. "You're covered in void stuff," she explained. "It's how the Doctor located you the first time. He'll do it again. But this... Hold this here. This will cover up any evidence of any void matter. It'll keep you safe." Donna removed her engagement ring. It wasn't anything special. Shawn hadn't been able to afford much. But it was special to Donna. The red head hesitated a moment, before using the other equipment on it. Suddenly, everything sparked, and the ring glowed. She handed it to Sara. "There you go. One very special biofilter specially designed to hide void stuff. Don't put it on for at least an hour," she explained. "The natural electrical energy from your brain activity will cause it to short out unless you give it time to cure." She reached back into her purse and seized all the pounds she had available, putting them into Sara's hand. "It's not a lot but will get you a ticket out of London. Stay out of sight. Scots are friendly but do not leave a trail. Not one he can find."

Out of the corner of her eye they saw the blue police box materialize in the distance. "You have to go." Donna told her. "Run. Get out of here now."

"Thank you." Sara shoved the money into her pocket. "I am so sorry. I wish I could do better."

"Just go!"

Sara released Donna's hand, feeling weakened, but taking a deep breath, she pushed the back car door open, pushed herself on her feet and started to run.

She bolted from the car, and raced down the street not looking back. Sara turned the corner and ran into a department store.

"Sara," Nine called out. _Oh, no, _Sara thought. You're the same person. _You're just like him_.

_Sara... Sara... calm_... It was Ten trying to reach her telepathically. Sara shook her head. He was very distracting. And it didn't help Sara was drained from being connected with Donna. It felt like she was trying to run through peanut butter. She made it to the escalators, and started going up. Once she'd made it to the top, she hid behind some very animated teenagers discussing the latest something or other. Sara was on the second floor, but watched the two Time Lords on the main floor looking around for her. She was waiting. As soon as they moved away from the area, she could head back down stairs, and back track through the exit the way she'd come. She watched as Nine walked closer to Ten. He seemed to be asking him a question. Ten nodded, closed his eyes, and inhaled through his nose. He looked like he did when he was searching for the Master.

_SSSSara_. Ten's voice echoed through her mind. Instantly, Ten pointed in her direction. He didn't face her, but she knew he knew exactly where she was. Nine looked where Ten was pointing. His eyes met Sara's.

"Sara," he called out. "Wait." But the girl was already gone. Sara ran up one aisle and down another. How did Ten find her? How did he smell her? Did she smell like a Time Lord? Then why did Nine have to ask Ten where she was? It had to be the bond. Ten could sense her through the bond.

"Oh, that's just not fair," she told herself. What good was a perception filter if Ten could sense her through their bond? She let out a frustrated groan. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm not giving up." Sara spurred herself faster. She could see an alternate exit up ahead and smiled. She still had a chance. "Yes!"

Nine stepped out in front of her. "NO!" Sara began skidding to a stop, but Nine didn't stand still. He ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her. Sara began to struggle. "Help!" she screamed. "Help! He's kidnapping me!"

"Sara, stop. Just want to talk."

"No! Let me go!"

Nine released her, and she bolted forward to get away. But after four steps she realized she was inside the console room of the TARDIS. Ten stood at the console looking at her. He had materialized the time machine around her. Sara raced towards the doors, but they were locked. Of course they were locked.

"Just want to talk." Nine had his hands raised as though he was trying to calm a wild animal. Sara's mind was flooded with a calming sensation. She looked a Ten, knowing it was coming from him. "We can work this out," he said simply.

"NO!" shouted Sara. "You have no right to keep me here!"

"Hold on," tried Nine.

"You're just as bad as he is!" She glared at him. "Are you going to imprison me in my room next?! Oh, let me guess, strap me to a bed? Forcibly crawl inside my mind over and over again? Take me to a fix point, and force me to watch my only friend die? No, that's not your style, is it. You just stand there and watch someone dry out while saying everything has its time and everything dies!"

Nine's eyes widened. His jaw clenched. "That's enough."

"Enough? Yeah. You're right. I've had enough. So, let. Me. Go!"

"Sara, you need to calm down," started Ten. She whirled on him.

"You stupid #$!%^&*&^%$# !*," she screamed. And with that she ran down the corridor towards her room. Maybe she couldn't leave the TARDIS, but at least she wouldn't have to look at them.

"Blimey," said Nine after Sara left.

"I told you. Didn't I? Volatile," said Ten, leaning his back against the console. "Don't worry. She'll calm down eventually. Then we'll be able to talk with her." He sighed and closed his eyes.

"How are you holding up?" asked Nine.

"Two humans bombarding me with unrestrained negative emotions?" he looked at his counter part. "Fine," he said sarcastically, "Just fine." He paused, closing his eyes again. "Although, I think Rose might be getting tired of continuously singing 'Found a Peanut' to me."

"Don't envy you that one, mate."

"Yeaaaaah." Ten drew out the word. He brought his hands to his temples and began to massage them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara lay huddled on her bed, clutching Christina's cup to her chest simply staring at the wall wishing more then ever she could wake from this unending nightmare. Somehow she had been cursed and to make matters worse, her life had been extended and was inexplicably bound to Rose. In this distorted new version of a family Ten had irrevocably had formed, he seemed more insistent then ever on never relinquishing her.

"It's so unfair." She muttered. "I just want to go home. Why can't I just go home?" "Believe me." Lilly's voice came from her doorway. "I know how you feel."

Sara sat up, seeing the only friend she had in the world that believed her for whom she could place her confidence in as she felt tears starting to trickle down her cheeks.

Lilly quietly entered Sara's room and shut the door, sitting on Sara's bed as the two friend's embraced while Lilly choked back a sob remembering her conversation with both Nine and Ten. She could no longer remember their name. Though she'd never wanted it in the first place, having them take it, hurt her more than she'd ever thought possible. It wasn't a physical pain, but an emotional one. She'd been put in her place. She'd been told exactly where she stood with the aliens. She knew she was nothing to them, just a problem they had to babysit.

"You're bond with Ten," Lilly asked quietly, needing to be sure. "He can't read your thoughts?"

Sara shook her head. "No just really strong emotions. It takes an actual effort to send a thought back and forth on both sides. Kind of like initiating a bad overseas phone call."

Lilly thought about this. "So he'll feel your..."

"My disappointment? My anger? Sure. But the farther away I am from him, the less he feels." Sara told her.

"You sure? Because Rose thought he couldn't hear her thoughts too."

"What do you mean?"

Lilly began filling in Sara on all she had missed. She told Sara she'd just come from Rose's room. She told her how upset Rose was, and how she found out Ten could here whatever she heard. She told her about the conversation with Ten where he explained how he thought their memories ended up on the iPod. She told her how Nine had believed she was lying, and how she'd given them the vortex manipulator. She told her how they insisted she give back their name. And she told her how Ten took it.

"Oh, Lilly."

Sara's compassion brought fresh emotion to the situation, and Lilly fought to hold back her tears. "I guess I know how important I am now." She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "Anyway." She licked her lips. "How can you be sure he can't hear what you're thinking?"

"I asked the TARDIS," Sara told her, thinking about what happened to Rose. "Knowing their name the way I do gives me access to her data base."

"Good, because I have a thought but neither of us can act impulsively." Lilly told her, reminding her of when Sara bolted from the café. "I know you got angry and you didn't think before taking off but in order for this to work, we need to be calm and to work it through."

Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I just lost it. I should of...well, should of considered it might not have worked." She glanced at Lilly, steadying herself. "What's the plan?"

"We escape." Lilly smiled and Sara looked at her perplexed. "But we get things in order. Things we need to survive. Money, an exit plan, a strategy and an exact time." Lilly swallowed. "Make sure we're in modern day London for it to work."

"Might not be that simple with the way we travel but I think I can get the money." Sara told her.

"How?"

"I can access the TARDIS. You know she can make duplicate devices." Sara waited for Lilly to catch on.

"Sonic Screwdrivers." Lilly finished. "But would you know how to use it?"

"If I ask, the information should be given straight into my head." Sara explained. "What if Ten catches you?" Lilly thought.

"I'll say I wanted to learn how to use one. It's not really a lie. He can't go in my mind unless I allow it. He only senses my emotions. Lately, all I feel around him is anger or... or frustration." Sara told her. "I can get the money, maybe alter a credit card if I'm careful but..."

"But what...?"

"I don't think we can run together." Sara explained. "There's the bond and the energy signal." Sara frowned. "There's the chance, the farther away I am, the weaker it will be but to do this, we have to start running together and then split off and go our separate ways. Divert their attention. If you and I succeed and they don't find us, after a few months, we'll find each other. Maybe leave the country. Go to the states. Keep a low profile."

Lilly swallowed. "Be on my own? I don't think..."

"Just for a little while. I know you can. Especially with... with this." Sara pulled Donna's engagement ring from her pocket, and gave it to Lilly. "Don't put it on yet. We can't let them know we have it."

"What is it?"

"It's a biofilter. It'll make it so they can't detect the void matter on you."

"But what about you?" asked Lilly.

"Even if they can't detect the void energy, they could still detect the other stuff on me. It won't do any good for me to use it. My only chance is to get far enough away. But you... If you put it on just as we separate, they won't be able to find you. It'll give you a better chance of getting away."

"I can't do this on my own," worried Lilly.

"After what we went through, you'll be okay. Besides, we're never really alone if you think about it." Sara comforted her.

"It's just I thought they might believe me, maybe my dimension, get me home. Maybe you could come too. If might not be your world but at least there-"

"It would all be fiction." Sara smiled. "I'd like that. But they won't. That doesn't mean give up. There could be others on this planet that will believe us. Believe you."

"But the Doctor-"

Sara shook her head. "Let me tell you something about the Doctor that I knew and despite the fact he turned a leaf, I'll be completely honest. Rather then finding out I could heal, he used me like a weapon and ripped a child out of existence during the episode of 'The Next Doctor'."

Lilly gasped. "What do you mean?" "Remember Jackson Lake's son he was supposed to save?" Sara asked. Lilly nodded.

"The Doctor used my energy to fry the entire network of Cybermen and obliterated Jackson Lake's child out of reality at the same time. Then he called me delusional and locked me up in a cellular regeneration vault for hours." Sara told her. "I was too petrified after to tell him the truth."

"Oh my God." Lilly whispered.

"You weren't the only one that held a gun in your hand. I did too with Adelaide Brooke. He yanked it from her knowing she was going to attempt to take her own life." Sara's voice faltered. "I picked it up and tried to shoot her to in order to salvage a fixed point in time but I couldn't. Adelaide rushed me suddenly and the gun went off." She still remembered the smell, the burned flesh. "I was covered in her blood. He howled and

called me a stupid ape and then chased me through Hyde Park. Snuck out of the shadows, wrestled me to the ground and forced me to sleep."

Sara's voice was shaking. "I know you don't understand why I tried to kill myself all those times. I was desperate. I was just so scared." She glanced down on her bed.

"He locked me in my room. Told me I better get used to it and that it would be my home for the next sixty years. I begged him for another chance and he said I already had plenty."

Tears started to come to Lilly's eyes upon hearing this.

"After nearly two weeks, I felt like I was going insane. I knew I wanted to die because I was so completely terrified. I kept seeing shadows coming out of the walls to threatening me. I refused to eat or drink. He was gone for nearly a week to see Queen Elizabeth..."

"Day of the Doctor." Lilly realized. She'd never seen that episode. She'd only seen the previews.

"I went into a coma." Sara said. "If he was one day later, I would have died." She let out a deep breath of air. "Shortly thereafter, we fell through the crack, I met you. When I thought Ten had the both of us and that I ruined your life as well, I couldn't bear it. I was willing to trade myself for you but he wouldn't let that happen and I knew it was a possibility so I took Nine's clothing scissors just in case."

"Sara..." Lilly started.

"Let me finish. You need to understand, it wasn't just about me giving up." Sara said fiercely. "I didn't know Nine was there. I thought Ten had us both. I thought if I stabbed myself, he would be completely focused on me and I would be a distraction. You would have plenty of time to get away and get to Jack. He would have protected you. It was the only thing I could do for you." Sara told her. "I know Ten. He's too quick. He wouldn't fall for anything else. Whether I survived or not, you would have had at least a fifteen minute leg up to get away. It was your best chance."

Tears started to trickle down Lilly's face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know but I just couldn't leave you like that." She swallowed. "I do realize now why you did it and how much guts it took to do what you did but," she paused, "but, I couldn't leave you like that."

"If I hadn't of run..." Sara paused.

"I'm sorry." Lilly was shaking. "I'm not as brave as you. Not really and-"

"That's not true." Sara dismissed. "You faced down Cassandra. The Final Action, the Gelth, Ten at his worse and the Master."

"But I was so scared..." Lilly said, her voice trembling.

"You think I wasn't for all those weeks. I used anger as a self defense mechanism but I was terrified. Lilly, I'm almost completely broken inside. To be bonded to the person who abused me," Sara swallowed, shaking her head. "I can't do it anymore."

"Then we leave." Lilly said.

"Yes, we leave. Sara whispered. "Like you said. We plan and we leave. They think I'm too impulsive. They won't expect a strategy."

"But we have to split up?" Lilly asked, uncertain.

"No other way. They can track me for a while. They can't track you. We start running together and then we diverge. Maybe two separate cars if we can get around a corner where they can't see us." Sara told her. "We tell no one where each other is going."

"How do we find each other after?"

"In three months, we'll meet back at San Pancreas Station. We'll each have a disposable phone we'll use only once for that occasion."

Lilly nodded. It was better then acting impulsively. The plan had merit and though she was frightened of being on her own they had tasks to fulfill before they could put each action into place.

"So how soon do we go? Maybe Rory's bachelor's party?" Lilly asked.

"No, this needs to be done as soon as possible."

"Wait, why?" Lilly protested.

"If we keep putting it off, it will never happen. There will never be a right time." Sara explained. "You know Ten only wants me around for one thing, right?"

"He's under the impression you're his daughter or something right?"

"Oh it's worse then that. Rose is connected to my life and now lucky me, I get to live for centuries. As long as I'm alive, Rose stays alive. You actually think he'll let me go?" Sara shook her head. "The rest is semantics. I bet he would put me in a padded room if he could so that his precious Rose stays alive because I'm just a life source for her."

"He really did seem to care about you when you were in a coma." Lilly reflected.

"Because of Rose!" Sara emphasized. "My life is tied to hers. As long as I'm alive, she stays alive. His talk about family is just sugarcoating the whole thing."

"You don't want to live that long?"

"God no! I want a normal human life. Who wants to live that long to see everyone die around them? Maybe, just maybe if I can get away, someone can fix me." Sara said hopefully. "I mean, I like Rose but I'm human too. I should be able to make my own choices."

"I'm sorry." Lilly said, thinking about Jack.

"It's not your fault." Sara replied. "Anyway, we have work to do. I'll try to get the device. Do you think you can get a map, think of a route, be careful about it? You can't say anything about it to Rose. You know Ten can hear everything she thinks."

"Yeah." Lilly agreed. "Can you keep your emotions in check?"

"I can keep up my bitter anger and disappointment. That will be nothing new." Lilly smiled.

"Then we won't have a problem."

XXXXXXXX

Sara made her way out of her room and headed straight down the corridor in the direction to the library when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Glancing back to see Ten, she yanked her arm away instantly feeling his concern.

"Sara, how are you?"

"Oh, so hard to say when you chased me across town only to lock me back up in the TARDIS again while you both accuse me of clinging to delusions as a coping mechanism." She seethed. "But all in all from two simple minded morons like yourselves, what should I be expecting?"

"With everything I put you through, I can't blame you for you using a show on the tele as a way of-"

"Don't you even dare." She spat out. "I don't care how many times you say it. I'm not time sensitive. It was a show in my universe that was obliterated. It was fiction and if you're about to say that I somehow recorded information on an iPod, you're completely mad." She turned to face him. "So do what you have to do." She stared him straight in the eye. "Lilly told me all about Nine's threats. Do the Final Action."

Ten gasped. "Or if you don't have the stomach for it. Have Nine do it. Might be a relief then living like this. Render me unconscious and put me in a padded cell since I'm only good for one thing. To keep your precious Rose alive." Her tone was bitter. "Now that's the only thing I'm good for isn't it?" She raged. "So, please, don't pretend to care because the fact is, you never did!"

She pulled away from him and fled down the hallway. "Sara wait!" He called after her. "None of that is true." He protested. "Sara!" He made to go after her when suddenly Nine was at his side putting a hand on his shoulder. "S'pose I should help with this one." He suggested.

Ten took a swift intake of air, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Can't believe she would think you want to perform the Final Action on her and-"

"I never would. Not in her state. Think you know that." Nine ran his down his face. "She has to know she's more then a way to keep your wife alive."

"She is!"

"Maybe someone different needs to remind her right now." He glanced around. "Know where she went?"

"The library, I think." Ten said. It was swiftly becoming one of Sara's favorite places to visit. "So you'll talk with her?" He said, feeling worried.

"Will do. Maybe she'll finally calm down enough to listen."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara was in the library when she heard footsteps approach from the outside. Quickly she made haste to disappear into the adjoining storage room, shutting the door quickly behind her hiding next to one of the several shelves. _Can I ever be alone anywhere? _She asked herself.

"Sara?" It was Nine. Sara bit her cheek, even trying hard not to breathe.

"Know you're here." He said.

She silently moved back into the familiar wine cellar where racks upon racks of wine would obscure her from view.

"Just want to talk." He said.

_Yeah, and I just want a normal life. Something both of you stole from me._

The anger and pain inside her was overwhelming, then she felt the pressure at the back of her skull and for the first time, it felt soothing. Compassionate and soothing. The presence was sympathetic telling her how much it knew her agony and this communication spoke beyond words. So quietly, without a word, she replied. _Will you help me? I don't want to be here. I'm sorry. I'm just so scared._

Something rattled in front of her and she nearly exclaimed in joy to find a sonic screwdriver of her very own. She quickly picked it up and examined it looking around the room in wonder. _Can you slowly explain to me how to use it on ATM's and how to adjust credit cards with it? Please, just do it gently._

The information trickled into her brain and she was gratified. She knew once Lilly and Sara ran she could not take this sonic screwdriver with her but they could use it to prepare in advance. They would both have the resources they would need to prepare in advance so their run would simply not be in haste. Now, she knew what she had to do.

Quickly, she ensconced the screwdriver into the pocket of her coat and hastened out of the room only to be startled as she bumped into Nine. He'd been waiting just inside the library where the wine cellar was connected to it.

"Think we have some things to discuss."

"Right. I have nothing to say to the person who helped my former abuser who tormented me for two months assist in kidnapping me back. See you later."

With that, she made to run off to her room. Nine shook his head. If only she'd listen. xxxxxxxxxx

Several hours later Ten found Nine in the library. "I need your help," he stated simply. "What's wrong?" asked Nine.

"It's Rose," explained Ten. He swallowed. "She's not letting up. It's getting worse." Ten massaged his temples.

"The Song?" asked Nine. Ten shook his head.

"She's not happy being bonded to me. And I need to fix that. I need... I need you to perform a telepathic siiritre."

Nine jumped to his feet, letting the book he was reading drop to the floor. "You're not serious."

"I am."

"How can you even ask that!" Nine looked grave. "Won't do it."

"I need..."

"NO!" Nine turned to leave.

"Doctor," Ten called out. "She's starting to hate."

Nine froze.

"Please," begged Ten. "I can't allow her to hate. What would that be like for her? To be stuck in a bonding she hates."

Nine inhaled. He didn't turn around, but he nodded. "Will do." He exhaled. "How soon do you want it done?"

"Now."

Ten minutes later Rose was startled awake. Something was wrong. She could feel it. She quickly climbed out of bed, and put on her dressing gown. She twirled around her room, looking for anything out of place. "It's not here," she said. _The problem isn't here. _Rose left her room in search of what was wrong. Something... something just felt off.

xxxxxxxxx

Lilly found Nine wondering the corridors. "Hello," he said.

She grimaced, immediately feeling emotional. "When we came to this universe, we messed up the time lines," she told him simply. It was hard to even look at him.

"Still angry then," commented the Doctor about how she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Hurt," she said, glancing at his face. "I'm not angry with you, just hurt. I know you're only doing the best you can. But with your limited view of time, you..." Lilly stopped. This wasn't why she'd been looking for him. She sighed. "Your only a Time Lord. It's not your fault."

Nine raised his eyebrows. That was a new one.

"Anyway. The point is the other Doctor was supposed to regenerate at the Naismith Mansion. Well, not at the mansion, but after. If we hadn't been here, he would have taken Wilf's place. The radiation would have started killing him, and he would have been pretty upset about it. So, as a reward for himself, he would have gone around to quite a few of his companions, saving their lives, setting them up with friends or money or whatever. And then he would have regenerated in the TARDIS. But with all the radiation..."

"Would have been more energy than she could've handled," finished Nine.

"Yeah, he would have crashed at this little girl's house. Amelia Pond. Meeting her would have put into motion the birth of a woman who has already saved Ten in his personal past. But if he never crashes at Amelia Pond's house, she'll never be born. And if she's never born, Ten never would have lived long enough to meet us. So..."

Nine nodded. It was a simple enough paradox. "Which companions?" asked Nine. Lilly listed everyone she remembered seeing on the show along with what Ten did for them.

"There were others, but I don't know which ones. I'm sorry. And..." She inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, I don't remem... I don't know the year Amelia Pond was seven years old or where exactly she lives."

"Should be enough. Thank you." Lilly turned to leave. "Lilly." She stopped.

"Still friends?"

"I..." She didn't say anything for a long time. "Friends trust each other," she said. She looked up at his eyes, and frowned. "And you don't trust me." Instantly, there were tears in her eyes.

"Can we talk," asked Nine. There was something he needed to discuss with her, something he needed to discuss with Sara too. But Lilly didn't answer. She just turned and walked away.

xxxxxxxxx

Rose was running down a dimly lit hallway. Something was wrong. Something was wrong and she knew it. She turned a corner, and ran straight into the Doctor. It was Nine. Rose caught a glimpse of Lilly disappearing down the hallway.

"Rose." Nine looked at her questioningly.

"Something's wrong, yeah." She turned around, looking for whatever was out of place. "I don't know how I know. I just know. Something's wrong."

"Come with me." Nine extended his hand toward her. _Siiritre_, he thought. It had to be done.

Rose took her Doctor's hand without hesitation, and he began leading her through a labyrinth of passageways before stopping in front of a large door. The Doctor knew Rose wasn't going to like this. He dropped her hand long enough to pull open the door, and she followed him inside. The room was dark except for the light coming through one curtain covered window at the other end of the tiny room. There was a dark colored door next to the window, but nothing else in the room.

"Wha' is this?" asked Rose. The Doctor nodded towards the window. She smiled at him. "Wha' is it?" she repeated her question. He only nodded to the window again, but didn't smile.

Rose moved towards the window, and pulled open the curtains. She gasped. There was Ten strapped to a bed writhing and screaming in agony. Even though he looked like he was screaming, not a sound could be heard in the room they were standing in. They were in an observation room, and Ten was in a hospital-like room. He arched his back in torment almost a foot off the bed. His hands were knotted in fists. Even his toes on his bare feet were clenching in pain.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted. She ran to the door leading to his room. It was locked. She tugged and pulled on it, but it wouldn't budge. She turned to her Doctor. "What's happening to him?!" she demanded. "We've got to help!"

Nine leaned his back against the glass, folding his arms. He looked serious. "It's called siiritre," he said simply.

"It's killin' him!"

"Sorta, yeah." The Doctor answered with a firm voice. "It's what he'll suffer when you die," explained the Time Lord.

"But I'm not dyin'!" Rose tugged at the door again. "Let me in!"

"No."

"Wha'? Why not?" She looked at Nine. "Why not!"

"It's the bond that's making you want to help him, Rose, not you."

"Bullocks!" she shouted. "Help him!"

"He asked for this."

"Why would he do that?!" She slammed her hand on the glass.

"For you." Rose froze.

"How do you mean?"

"Put up some blocks in his mind, me," explained Nine. "Made it so he can't hear you anymore. Still feels emotions, but no thought." He frowned at his companion. "Torture for a Time Lord."

"Why would he do..."

"Found a Peanut?"

Rose took in a breath. She'd only been angry, frustrated with losing her privacy. _Wait_. Is that what this was? Was he giving her back some semblance of privacy?

"I didn't mean for..."

"For what?" asked Nine. He turned to face his companion. "Rose, he loves you. Nothin' he wouldn't do for you, suffer for you."

"'S got to be another way."

"Nope. Best he could do is this."

Rose frowned. "So, wha'? You jus' goin' to let him die?"

"Won't do. Feels like dyin' though." Nine turned to look at Ten. "Won't even break the bond. Just blocks your mind from him a bit. Feels like you died. Should be able to function again 'bout tomorrow afternoon give or take. Be grievin' for the rest of his lives, but he'll function." He looked at Rose. "Won't have to worry about him hearing what you think." Nine pushed away from the window heading towards the exit. "Oh, Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't touch him," said Nine. "Touching him will reestablish telepathic connection, an' he'll have to do this all over again." Without another word he left the room.

Rose stayed. She stayed and watched. She screamed at the glass, and pulled at the door. She could feel herself being driven to help him. Finally, the need to help stopped. She looked up at the Doctor. His body was covered in sweat. He wasn't writhing anymore. He was quietly sobbing, eyes closed. "Rose," he mouthed. "Oh, my Rose."

Nine returned soon after that. He unlocked the door, and unstrapped the sleeping Time Lord. Rose stood in the door way and watched Nine work. He touched Ten's mind, making sure his duplicate was alright before leaving the room. He hadn't said a word to Rose until he went to leave. "Remember," he said. "Don't touch him."

Rose stayed and watched him sleep. She'd noticed her own blocks had been slowly decaying. She'd been able to feel more and more from the Doctor, and she wondered what this new situation would be like. When Rose woke several hours later in the chair the TARDIS had provided, she found the room was empty. Ten had awakened while she was sleeping, and left.

After Ten came into the console room, showered and dressed, Nine explained the paradox Lilly had told him about. Ten pasted on his usual manic smile. Part of him was looking forward to the distraction. He was surprised, however, when Nine insisted everyone go with him. Nine explained he thought Sara and Lilly might start to relax enough to finally be able to have _**that **_conversation with them if they didn't feel caged in the TARDIS. Ten acquiesced. Both Time Lords knew they would have to take special care to watch Sara, if they didn't want' a repeat of her running again.

But Nine had an ulterior motive for bringing everyone. He knew Ten and Rose needed to spend time together. As much as having parts of their bond blocked helped, it wasn't a permanent solution. He knew they needed to become friends. Only then was there any chance of their marriage working. Only then was there any chance for either of them to be happy. So, as the group traveled from place to place and time to time, visiting the Doctor's old companions, Nine was careful to manipulate circumstances so Ten and Rose were together while keeping an eye on his wards. It was no small task.

He had manipulated where everyone was enough so Rose walked in on Ten when he was quietly crying, morning the loss of his wife's mental touch. Ten hadn't known Rose was there. But Rose knew what he was grieving. She was feeling more and more of him. It wasn't as overwhelming as before. It was slow enough, gradual enough, she was starting to get used to the sensation of being connected with someone else. She knew, however, if it got to be too much, she would ask Nine to reestablish the blocks. By the time they'd made it through half of the companions, Nine's plan seemed to be working. He'd seen Rose actually smile at Ten.

If only Lilly and Sara were so easy. Both girls spent almost every moment with each other. They practically refused to speak to either Time Lord. And after what seemed like forever, Nine was beginning to wonder if they would ever be ready to hear what he had to offer.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"So we go when Ten gets his autograph in the book of impossible things?" Lilly asked.

"Think about it. Proper time frame. In the middle of town. He'll be distracted. You cover for me while I use the restroom. I get the money. The two cards. The phones. As he gets the signature. We head back to the door. We split." Sara told her.

"Nine will see us the minute we run."

"He'll need to call to Ten. We'll have a heads up the route we planned. We get on the Strand. Blend with the tourist. Each grab a different taxi, go a separate direction. We can't tell each other where we're going. If either of us gets caught..."

"Yeah, I get it." Lilly said. "And you know how to get the money?"

"Yes. Just cover for me. There is a convenience store right next to the bookstore that sells prepaid credit cards, phones with a restroom and an ATM."

Lilly was shaking. "I'll miss you."

Sara gave a smile although her lips were trembling. "Only three months." She assured her.

The next day, the plan pulled off seamlessly. The two girls ambled around pretending to be looking at books as Ten waited in line for his novel to be signed. Sara gave a grimace and whispered to Ten that she needed to use the restroom real quick and would return shortly and he nodded being that Nine was right outside. She hurried into the convenience store. Five minutes later, she returned and continued her idle browsing while deftly handing Lilly a bag, which she shoved into her purse.

The two girls made their way to the back of the door and Sara squeezed her hand. "Ready?" Lilly asked.

"As I ever will be. "Sara said.

"Live free or die." Lilly told her. "At least, that's the motto for New Hampshire."

"I'll see you in three months. San Pancreas Station."

"I'll be there." Lilly confirmed.

In a flurry of movement, the two girls at once, threw open the door and sprinted down the street away from the TARDIS, heading through the crosswalk, up to through the alley, towards the Strand.

"Lilly! Sara!" She heard Nine call after them, his voice startled. In a moment he was giving chase but he was delayed as he called for Ten to come to his assistance.

_Sara...come...here _He was concerned but also angry. Well so was she as she headed up the streets with Lilly as they started to weave in and out of the crowds of tourists. She took the moment of self-satisfaction to send one strained communication back to Ten.

_Screw you...never belong to you...never_

They turned another corner and for the moment, the Doctors in line of sight. "This is our chance." Sara told Lilly as they approached a bank of Taxis. Sara quickly dumped the sonic screwdriver in the trash. "You grab one cab. I'll grab another." In that moment, they gave each other a quick fierce hug.

"Good luck." Lilly said.

"You too." Sara assured her. "Three months."

With that, Lilly slipped on Donna's ring, and they swept into two different taxis, which headed into completely opposite directions while both making a similar prayer. Simply that their strategy would work and they would finally obtain their freedom.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sara felt profound relief when she boarded a train to Edinburgh, Scotland and the train departed without incident. She watched the scenery of the English countryside outside her window. _Freedom. _True the trip would last for five hours long but she knew the bond would weaken the farther away she extracted herself from Ten. Already, she felt the emotional pull between the two slowly decay and she hoped within herself that Lilly had managed to flee out of London as well. She didn't have her difficulties so the chances were more in her favor.

Throughout the long journey, Sara found herself drifting in and out of sleep remembering the nightmares she had endured with Ten and the Master. She would pull herself away with a shudder and enter the beverage car to indulge in a double shot of an espresso to keep herself alert and vigilant.

Maybe if she got herself to some semblance of freedom, she could engage a therapist and talk about her experiences in some abstract form and start to work through them. Down the line, she would start to feel like herself again, the same self motivated, independent personal she was before she became so broken by everything that had been done to her and then she could once again assert she could rightly claim that the only person she could depend on was herself. Not some alien Time Lords insistent on controlling her, but her own person.

The train eventually made its way to a stop and she took a glance out the window and suddenly her heart clenched in her chest to see the familiar blue box just near the departure sign. No. She would not let them catch her so simply. Certainly, not give them any traces to Lilly. Seizing the prepaid phone out of her bag, she promptly smashed it underfoot and dashed to the very back of the train to the very rear exit, peeking out. Glancing around, she noticed an emergency exit knowing perfectly well that alarms would sound as soon as she stepped right through. A chair was sitting right next to the aforementioned exit by happenstance. Bursting out of the train, she dashed to the exit, seizing the chair, she burst of door, the alarms resounding in her ear, she slammed the door shut and anchored it closed with the chair wedged against the handle as she took off running.

_Why? _She thought. _They're just tormenting me. _Again, she felt Ten's worry pressing down in her mind. He was close by. _Please! Leave me alone! _She strained to tell him.

_I can't. _Can't, It was all too simple. She remembered the first time she fled from him and then as she ran she saw something looming up in front of her. If she couldn't escape them in life, then this might be her only way out. Her only ticket to freedom. Forth Bridge from Edinburg loomed directly in front of her. Surely her body couldn't survive that fall and she now was under no illusion that this was a dream but a perpetuating nightmare she couldn't escape. Wouldn't she rather end it here then to live for centuries watching everyone die around her imprisoned, slowly going insane? A part of her already felt so broken inside. Where were the pieces of her life that she could pick up and start fresh?

She had no doubts and no qualms at this moment. She hoped God would forgive her this time. _I'm so sorry Lilly. So sorry. _She ran straight to the bridge and headed straight to the ledge clambering over the pedestrian railing in desperation. _I just can't do this anymore. _Without hesitation, she prepared to let herself fall.

_Sara...DON'T_. Ten's words were the loudest and clearest she'd ever heard. _What... about... Lilly? What... would... she... suffer?_

_She's gone_, Sara sent back. An idea struck her. She concentrated on her memory of the little boy she'd been forced to erase from time. She sent all those images towards him, adding the words, _She's gone. I made her disappear_. She felt Ten's horror cascade through her when he believed her lie. _Guess you were right. I am a weapon_. She swallowed. _Live free or die._

Suddenly Sara was hit with a powerful wave pressing down on her mind. She felt like she was drowning.

She felt Nine's finger's glance against her arms as she slipped through his grasp, and plummeted to land on the rocks below. In her last moments of consciousness, in her last moments of life, she heard Ten's mental cry, she felt his emotion, his regret. But it was too late. She'd made her choice. She was dead.

**WARNING: Graphic Character Vision Death Scene Described. Skip to Bold Text Below if you don't want to read. Just a vision.**

xxxxxx

Nine stood a few feet away from Sara's body. They'd scanned the entire region for the void particles that would have been covering Lilly with their sonic screwdrivers before coming to collect what was left of Sara. Lilly was gone. She didn't exist. There was no sign of void matter, no sign of Lilly. Nine believed what Ten had told him, what Sara had said. She'd erased her.

He looked at the broken remains of the human, his duplicate's child, a member of his house. Her body was broken. Limbs were twisted the wrong way. Part of her skull was smashed open with bits of brain matter leaking out. One eyeball had been forced from its socket, and was dangling on the side of what used to be her face. This once beautiful woman was unrecognizable. But Ten didn't care. He clung to her broken body, and shouted cries of agony at her loss.

"I changed!" he shouted. "I changed!" He sobbed uncontrollably into her hair. "Why?!" he asked Nine. "Why, when I changed?!"

"Consequences." Nine's answer was simple. What Ten had done while he was the Time Lord Victorious still had consequences. And this was one of them. Rose stood next to Ten who was crouched on the rocks desperately holding his child. Silent tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"It's not fair," said Ten. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" He broke into sobs, crying even harder.

Nine was suffering too. "One more loss. One more dead friend." He picked up a rock, and threw it with all his strength, letting out a shout of frustration. He turned away from the others to hide the tears coming to his eyes. "Should have told them," he said. "Should have sat them down and forced them to listen!"

"Listen to wha'?" managed Rose.

"Were plannin' on taking turns staying with them on Earth. Make it so they didn't have to travel," explained Nine.

"Why?"

"'Cause Lilly said travelin' to them is like forcing us to stay put. It's cruel. An' we believed her." He picked up another stone, and shot it out of his hand with great force. "Didn't want them to suffer. Would've given 'em a normal life, or close too it. Universe would've been safe too. Everybody wins." He frowned, and put his hands on his hips under his jacket. "But no. They were too busy being angry to listen." He grabbed another stone, instantly chucking it. "Stupid apes. Should have forced them to hear us. Should've... Should..." Nine's voice broke, and he fought to hold back his tears.

Rose stepped closer and put her hand on his arm. "'S not your fault, Doctor. 'S just not."

"Oh, Rose." Nine sounded mournful.

"Maybe," sniffled Rose. "Could put her on life support again, yeah?'

Nine turned back. He shook his head. "She's gone," he explained. "The other Doctor can't feel her anymore. 'S why he's so upset."

**Vision Death Scene Ends**

xxxxxxxxxx

As suddenly as it came, the powerful wave pressing down on Sara's mind ebbed. She wavered, grabbing desperately to the side of the bridge. The powerful memory of seeing her own broken body in Ten's arms played before her eyes. She remembered his emotion as he clung to her. Sara was hit with a wave of nausea, and brought one hand to cover her mouth. For the first time in her life, she realized suicide wasn't pretty. It wasn't romantic. It wasn't anything to be glorified. And it was **never **the solution. "I don't want to do this," she said. Instantly, she felt Ten's relief. She realized he must have sent those images and emotions to her just as she'd sent the images and emotions about Jackson Lake's son to him. She hadn't really jumped. She hadn't really died. Everything she'd just seen and experienced came from Ten's mind, his thoughts, his emotions.

When she brought her hand away from her mouth though, she realized her nose was bleeding. So were her ears. The mental push had been too much for her human body, her human mind. She didn't realize the Doctor had only given her that potent vision of her death out of sheer desperation to save her life. She climbed back to safety and crumbled to her knees, too weak to run, too weak to get away. She couldn't feel Ten anymore. _Hello? _If he was responding, she couldn't hear him. _Hello? Doctor? _In a strange way Sara felt almost deaf. _Doctor?!_

With the screeching of tires, Sara was surrounded by official vehicles. A helicopter came out of nowhere and began circling the bridge. She was surrounded by soldiers carrying weapons, and forced into a van.

"Sara!" She heard both Nine and Ten calling after her.

"Hurry up!" ordered one of the officials. "Get that door closed so they can't track her anymore."

"No," she pleaded weakly as one of the men covered her head with a hood. She heard the doors close, and felt the vehicle jerk forward. She felt the cold metal of handcuffs forced around her wrists, and the sting of a needle in her arm. The world began to swim. _Help! _she thought. _Help_. Her mental cry felt weak even to herself. _Hel_... Sara slipped into unconsciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nine swore briefly as Ten narrowed his gaze at the swiftly departing vehicle noting the direction of where the vehicles were heading. "C'mon. Let's get back to the TARDIS." They would be forced to track Sara's energy readings that way since the van had a dampener that wasn't allowing him to pinpoint her on his sonic. He needed a stronger measurement and he knew the consequences all to well if Sara remained in the hands of UNIT. He started to seethe internally as he raced back to the time machine with Nine. "I told you we should of just taken her on the train. It would have been simpler since I could have-"

"-dragged her kickin' and screamin' through a bunch of passengers to the TARDIS?" Nine challenged. "Knocked her out?" He grimaced. "Thought she might of calmed down. Just wanted to talk to her."

Ten wrenched open the door as he headed to the console transferring Sara's energy readings to the TARDIS mainframe, activating the hostile action subsystem and winced. "They prepared. Shielded her. TARDIS can sense her readings but can't get a lock."

"Takin' her into the vortex." Nine said. "Should check the atmospheric monitor through the time scanner to get a read on her bio signature and-" Suddenly all the color drained out of his face. "No." He shook his head in denial at the readings.

"What?" Ten asked, glancing up at him.

"NO!" Nine was enraged. He had already seen the cataclysm that had torn his universe apart and these humans, this pack of silly apes were going to do the same thing? He felt his rage burn inside him almost like never before as he looked at the calculations.

"Wha's wrong?" Rose asked as she entered the console chambered exchanging a glance with Ten. She still felt his pain and she wanted to help but she also needed time. _When Lilly and Sara are back. Can talk to them then..._

"Think I found Sara." He seethed as he input in the specific coordinates for where they were attempting to go. Ten could see the readings and knew all to well what they meant as he slammed his fist down on the console. "Stupid, so, very, very..." He paused taking a deep breath. Wouldn't they ever learn from his mistakes? He shook his head frantically as he leaned his elbows on the monitor knowing their figures had to be precise because not just his puerile was at risk. The universe was at stake. Timing as always meant everything.

"But you'll find her, yeah?" Rose asked them both.

"If they don't destroy the universe before." Nine said fiercely before glancing at his companion deciding to measure his tone. "Wrong people got their hands on Sara. Ramping up her energy signal to harvest it 'specially temporal energy does damage."

"Sara's still alive and Lilly?" Rose asked the two.

Nine looked at her searchingly deciding to moderate his reply. He wanted to prevent this calamity first, assure his ward's safety and then ask her himself about what she said regarding Lilly. Someone doesn't go from accidentally healing to killing overnight. He had doubts and rather then give into grief, he would find Sara first and question her when she wasn't teetering over a bridge. At least she made some progress. One step forward. She walked away from her own demise and decided to live. Now he needed to ensure that she survived..

"Still alive. Need to find out what she knows about Lilly." It was true enough as he exchanged a glance between Ten. They both headed to the door, opening it as Ten massaged his temple squeezing his eyes shut. "She's been screaming my name over and over." His face darkened. "They've been torturing her." Time started to crackle around him, looking every inch the Oncoming Storm and Nine grimaced in response feeling anger boil inside of him at the thought of this happening to his ward. But he could only fathom this was a small measure of what his counterpart felt. She was his family after all.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara was slowly emerging to consciousness only vaguely hearing voicing coming from above her.

"And she's the same one located in The Black Archive?" A voice asked.

"She meets the description. Same energy patterns. Hooking her up to the relay now as ordered." Voice two confirmed.

_Relay? _Sara thought blearily as she tried to determine where she was. "Doctor?" She whispered.

She gasped as a needle went into her vein and her eyes flew open to find herself in a laboratory, bound to a table with two men staring directly down at her wearing lab coats.

"Not this time. We're keeping this internal since we found you first."

"Found me first." Sara repeated

"Surely you remember Captain Magambo and Dr. Taylor. They have a fine recollection of you."

Sara felt her throat clench in fear as she looked upon these two men, both of them completely unfamiliar to her. She swallowed hard feeling helpless, completely bound to the bed as both of these UNIT personnel merely stared at her as though she was a science experiment. "What do you want?" She tried.

One smiled. "Already have it. What's inside you." They knew the potential of collecting Sara's energy and using it as a resource could bring to UNIT. The ability if they could harvest it would fuel their weapon's research and military campaigns so they wouldn't need to be dependent on the Doctor for assistance when a new threat emerged on their world. It was a considerable embarrassment when Sara managed to elude UNIT so quickly and was readily confirmed to be in the hands of the Doctor. But they had an opportunity now that they had managed to find her unprotected and they were going to take it.

Sara could see their intent and they wanted just what the Cybermen had desired which was to use her like a weapon and she felt tears come to her eyes as she groped with reality of her circumstance. A normal life for her maybe wasn't possible. Ten had warned her about UNIT but she hadn't bothered to listen because for the longest time, he hadn't given her a reason to. But now...

She thought back remembering her parents and how she inherited her strong willed nature from her mother. They most certainly clashed on everything being so identical in personalities and her father was so calm, the voice of reason. She missed them fiercely. She briefly thought what her real father would think of this new version of Ten. Would he approve? What would he tell her to do?

It wasn't suicide. Her father would be disappointed in her and she knew it. He'd want her to live, to make a difference and maybe she could. _I decided to run. _She thought bleakly. _My father would tell me to stop running. To face reality and go forward._

A needle was engaged into her other vein as Sara winced glancing at the machine that almost appeared to be like one vast conductor. She looked at them terrified and started to shake her head. "No." She begged. "Please don't!" She struggled fiercely against the bonds that held her. "You have no idea how dangerous this is! Just stop!" They ignored her as they started to work the controls of the machine.

"Input controls on."

"Implementing action one."

A switch was flipped and Sara started to scream in agony as she felt electricity rip right through her body as she cried out in both a tortured vocal and telepathic plea. "Doctor!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lilly stared at the ring on her finger sitting isolated and alone in her London hotel room waiting for, well, she didn't know what she was waiting for at the moment. She half expected to be caught and see the TARDIS dematerialize right inside the premises and for the first five hours, she had sat on the bed, her breath hitched in her throat.

But they didn't come which meant that the ring that Sara gave her just might be working and tears started to come down her cheeks. "Three months." She told herself. It felt like a long time and what if they caught her? She knew Sara would never give up Lilly's whereabouts, not that Sara could tell them much. That was the point of not giving the other their location in case of such an incident.

Lilly bit her lip and hoped Sara's determination helped her to extend past the distance where Ten could track her through his bond. She couldn't imagine what it was like to be told that a Time Lord adopted you by means of telepathy and wouldn't undo it. Not just any Time Lord but the one that had once opposed them as the Time Lord Victorious. She shuddered briefly thinking of Ten and him ordering her to sleep so he could remove his name. Sara only gave it to her to protect her from him and now, now what? Lilly blinked rapidly, shaking her head. No. Neither of them trusted her when all she tried to do was her best to protest the universe and honor her deal with Nine. He still thought she was insane and believed she was time sensitive.

That was the price she paid for her honesty and her friendship. A part of her missed Nine. She longed to trust him, be his friend again and beg him to try to see her point of view. See that she wasn't crazy, that their world was a TV show and there were things she simply didn't know. She frowned as she forced herself off the bed. It was time to stop kidding herself. He would never believe that. Neither Nine or Ten despite their good intentions would believe it was just a program because their science told them otherwise.

"But I'm free now." She muttered to herself. _Free to do what? _She glanced down at the credit card and cash Sara had given her. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and maybe a little shopping would cheer her up and fend off the loneliness. She might meet people who actually didn't talk about aliens, void matter or time travel and this was supposed to be about doing normal things of that nature.

She took a deep breath, nodding to herself pushing herself out the door as she shoved the credit card and cash into the pockets of her jeans. She made her way outside her hotel, taking a deep breath of the slightly moistened air, noting the perpetual fog that ensconced London. Still, now that she had time to revel in it, she had to admit, it was quite beautiful. Her hotel was near Paddington Station, which gave her direct access to the London Underground. While she considered leaving the City altogether she wondered what the point of that would be. Either the ring worked or it didn't and she knew what the TARDIS looked like. Sara had to outrun her bond but Lilly did not and having a chance to play tourist here might be fun. She always intended to go visit before she ended up in the reality where Doctor Who was real. _Be careful what you wish for. _It was a high price to pay. She walked down into the station taking careful note to take the Charring Cross Line, which by her map would put her in the center of the City.

The tunnels leading to the train were extensive and reminded her a bit of walking through catacombs but she didn't care. She never actually got to do this before and taking the equivalent of the subway in London was an amusing distraction. _Yes, normal, everyday distractions. I'll get new clothes, maybe see a movie and-_

"Pretty ring, that is." A man in dingy attire sneered at her approaching with a greedy expression.

Lilly looked at him nervously and down to the ring trying to think quickly. "Oh this old thing. It's a fake. Just costume jewelry."

"Doesn't look like it, that. Real enough." He had a blade out. "Your choice. The ring or your ring and your finger? Makes no real difference to me."

"Wait, please." Lilly thought desperately. _Not the ring. They'll find me. _"I have cash. She pulled the wad out of her pocket. "Take that instead." She offered. "I promise, the ring is worthless."

The man immediately swiped the cash. "Thanks." He told her. "Will still take the ring though."

Oh, she had been foolish and she had nothing left to barter with. How could she let this happen on her first day? She swallowed as she tried to rack her mind. The man lifted his blade to attack. Should she scream? The corridor was empty. He would cut her first, maybe kill her.

"Wait..." She glanced down, closing her eyes and slowly pulled the very thing that was protecting her off her finger and handed it to him. That was it. She had no other barrier and if the Doctors were scanning for void matter, they would find her.

The thief ran off and she was left standing alone in the Underground trying to think on what to do almost expecting the TARDIS to reappear right before her eyes. It didn't. She was frozen in one place for nearly thirty minutes while nothing happened.

Turning around, her venture in shopping forgotten, she made her way back to her hotel. She wondered if there was a way of reaching Jack in this universe and maybe he could make her another perception filter. He was on that spaceport bar as part of the End of Time sequence that Ten took to visit his last companions but Lilly seemed to remember he had gone to New York to avert a crisis. Donna. Well, Donna wouldn't remember making the first one.

Maybe the void particles in her weren't that much. Mickey had them too and he was in this dimension. Maybe they would assume it was all from him. She would just be very careful until Sara came back. Yes, that work. Lilly could just imagine the two of them heading to New York, sharing an apartment, having the life they always wanted. Sara had been terrorized for so long and Lilly had seen way too much death. She lived her life in a state of fear and she didn't know how to bear it although when Sara came along, somehow having a friend there that understood her, believed her helped immensely.

_At least we have each other. _Sara told her that once and Lilly knew now more then ever how important that was. She wished Sara was here with her now and she swallowed hard. "Three months." She told herself. "We'll still have each other." She kept walking, exiting out of Paddington station. "Just three months."

Suddenly vehicles surrounded and military men jumped out to flank her as she started to back away in terror.

"No, wait-" Lilly protested but she was cut off as they seized her elbows dragging her forward. "Help!" She started to scream. "Hel-"

She felt a needle enter her neck and Lilly winced in pain as a bag was shoved over her head. She was shoved into the back of a van as she felt cuffs slide over her wrists.

"Another one. A year later. I do get all the luck." A familiar voice said dryly

Drowsiness was perpetrating Lilly's senses. "Oh this one won't be pulling that trick again, Captain Magambo."

Captain Magambo. Lilly knew that name. She was part of UNIT but they worked with the Doctor, not always seeing eye to eye, but still... Her mind was getting muddled as the conversation started to drift further away.

"Black Archive...second one...void matter." Lilly knew she was in serious trouble just as she lost her last grasp of consciousness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lilly slowly came to consciousness to find herself lying strapped on a table in a darkened chamber facing a wall which had a series of pictures pinned directly to a green bulletin board. She looked at them in confusion seeing the familiar faces of companions but not recognizing this room in particular. She turned her head and let out a gasp at the presence of the vortex manipulator secured within the glass interior. _It's Jack's. How did they get it?_

"Your name." Captain Magambo demanded. Lilly recognized her immediately from 'The Planet of the Dead' and she gave a swift glance to Dr. Taylor at her side.

"Lilly Brooks." She responded nervously, darting her eyes between the two. "Why am I in The Black Archive?"

"How did you know the name of this location?' The captain answered the question with one of her own.

Lilly was puzzled. "You said it before I passed out..." She sighed as her stomach clenched in anxiety. "Look there must be some mistake."

"Yes, there must be for the real Lilly Brooks is dead but the two of you have identical fingerprints. Indeed a mistake." The captain narrowed her gaze upon Lilly. "And we picked up quite an unusually large amount of void matter radiating off of you which means you're not from this universe."

"But-" Lilly tried.

"Don't try to deny it or try to manipulate us." The captain looked at her menacingly while Dr. Taylor merely appeared forlorn. "Already been fooled once."

_What is that supposed to mean?_

But then Lilly knew all to well what it meant. UNIT worked with the Doctor and now she would likely be gift-wrapped right back to them. At least she didn't know where Sara went, which was little reassurance to her if Ten tried to access information inside her mind in pursuit of his 'child'. _No, he wouldn't do that. _She told herself. Getting back his name was one thing and she could sort of understand that but forcing his way into her mind was another.

"You're going to call the Doctor, aren't you?" She asked, resigned to her fate. She could already see the look on Nine's face when they returned her to him. _Why couldn't he listen to me, believe me when I needed him to?_

"No, already made that mistake once." The captain said. "Called the Doctor to consult before and the last girl slipped away because no one paid attention."

"Sara." Lilly muttered knowingly. The captain raised her eyebrows. "You know Sara Thomas?"

Lilly hesitated. Sara had told her she woke up in UNIT so if they called the Doctor to consult, then they may have had no intention of handing her over. This could be very bad for her.

"Miss Brooks, we can't begin to help you until you talk to us." The captain exhaled deeply. "Here is what I'm thinking." She paused. "You were in the Doctor's custody too but you escaped. We can probably come to some arrangement in exchange for information."

"Information." Lilly repeated. "What kind of information."

"You see the future, Miss Brooks, like Sara did?" The captain squeezed the palms of her hands together as Lilly let out a gasp. "Information like that, especially pertaining to the Doctor is very valuable. Can buy you all kinds of things. Our protection, assets, freedom, a new name and our help. That of any interest?"

It was tempting and Lilly would be lying if the promise of a new identity and their surety weren't. But the cost was too high. Having all that information could cause numerous paradoxes that would destroy this universe and Lilly simply couldn't do that. Maybe if she just explained it.

"You work with the Doctor don't you, you both? If I give out future information, it could cause events that could damage our universe-"

"I think we know what we're doing." The captain dismissed.

"Captain are you sure about this?" Dr. Taylor asked. "There are unknown variables to consider and the Doctor, I never got the honor to meet him-"

"We are only fact finding on particulars. No more." The captain assured.

_Never got the honor to meet him..._Right. Because Sara steered and crashed the bus for that episode. They never went so the Doctor probably sealed up the rift himself.

"I'm sorry." Lilly tried flexing her arms through the bonds. "I can't. I've already seen one universe get destroyed. It's too dangerous to risk another."

"Fine." The Captain turned to Dr. Taylor. "The sodium thiopental." She demanded.

"Captain, you know I can't guarantee results when administering a narcoanalysis." Dr. Taylor seemed reluctant.

"It's worked as a truth serum before." The captain said adamantly. _Truth serum? _Lilly cringed. "No, please! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Then explain it. Detail where he's going to appear next year. Who is he traveling with?"

Lilly couldn't tell him about Amy, Rory and River. That paradox was already too fragile on its own. "No, I can't tell you about them. Look, I'm just from another universe where this is all a show on the tele as you say. It's fiction..."

Her words faded away at the complete looks of disbelief she was getting from both the captain and Dr. Taylor.

"Maybe the strain of knowing the future has a psychological impact." Dr. Taylor suggested. "Perhaps there's damage to the cerebral cortex. We could run-"

"No!" Lilly protested. "I'm not crazy. I know you." She looked straight at the captain. "You're Captain Erisa Magambo and," she turned to glance at the scientist, "you're Dr. Malcom Taylor. You have your own measurement you use. Malcolm's per second." She told him. 100 Malcoms equals a Bernard." He was startled at this particular revelation.

"How did you...?" He started to ask.

"I saw it on TV." She told him. He looked skeptical to her. "You always wanted to meet the Doctor. You read all the files." She paused. "I know him. I can introduce you but please, please don't do this."

"You have your orders." Captain Magambo told Dr. Taylor and Lilly choked back a sob as she watched Dr. Taylor reluctantly starting to ready an IV tray shaking her head frantically in denial. She wished this wasn't happening and now she even understood a bit of what Ten was saying regarding the wrong creatures getting their hands on her.

"You're a better person then this." Lilly told him directly. "That's the idea behind the Doctor. That's what that day will bring when you finally will meet him. Remember the honor behind that?"

He seemed to hesitate imperceptibly looking directly at her and she trembled in fear.

These were the wrong people and they did have their hands on her. They could very well use her to destroy the universe.

**A/N: Thanks to Christie-Flare for her inspiration behind the iPod scene and that drama. It was fun to write for the both of us. Thank you for all your reviews on this. The title was inspired by the song 'The Scientist' by Coldplay which is a nice song although a bit sad to listen to while reading this. We are glad you are enjoying it. If anyone is still confused about Sara, she didn't jump, she simply had a vision given to her by 10 to prevent her from doing so which caused her to make the right decision and she decided not to jump. Suicide is never the right choice. **


	11. Thief of Time

The two humans were frantically trying to reverse the process they started glancing down at their device whispering desperately to each other. "Can't reverse the shift." One said. The other was pressing buttons. "Too much ionic interference with the-"

A tremendous crackling sound was made as they watched in horror while blue energy sizzled through the air from Sara who had long since lost any voice left to scream.

She was paralyzed, unable to move only able to see reality start to fold and bend before her very eyes. It was puncturing the very space in the room and she started to see a gaping white crack like she saw in the tower of London in the distance at the door starting to consume everything in its path. _Oh my God. All this time. He was right. I am a weapon. _Sara was helpless, unable to move as the light tore through four military personnel guarding her room and she knew their existence had been eradicated just like the son, Jackson Lake should of have had.

"Disconnect her from the latching circuits. If we terminate her-" One of the scientist had started to frantically suggest.

"Step away from my puerile."

The two men exchanged glances as they watched Ten approach reacting with terror as Ten's eyes flashed dangerously, power echoing off of him as he appraised the two mere humans that had attempted to harvest his child. Nine followed in close pursuit.

"One warning, one chance. That is all your two deserve." Ten told them, dripping with resentment, as his voice darkened. "Show us the control panel. We'll clean up your mess."

They decided to obey instantly, fearing the outcome to the contrary as they watched other white cracks starting to form in the recesses of the room.

"Narrowed down on the overload protection output." Nine told him. "Disconnecting the coaxial fibers." Every second was precious if this was going to work.

"Force-guided contacts offline. I'll reroute and polarize through the solid-state contactor. Their words were quick and efficient as they worked at high speed until Ten stepped back, letting out a deep breath of air, dragging his hand through his hair, pressing his lips together. "Energy repolarized." He said, closing his eyes briefly that the present threat to the universe had been dissipated.

He turned to Sara who was barely hovering on the brink of unconsciousness, staring at him, unable to discern what he was thinking. He was pulling the needles out of her arms and but she was still incapable of moving, powerless to speak, feeling nothing but utter disgust for herself.

He was running a diagnostic, glancing down at her, he offered an encouraging smile while squeezing her hand. "Just stay with me a sec, Sara."

She had no illusions about what had happened and what those white cracks in the room meant as tears trickled out of her eyes. Her thoughts momentarily drifted back to the bridge and she pondered briefly whether she should have jumped after all. Sara glanced at the Doctor and it was strange but at the same time, she saw him freeze, the lines deepen in his face while he cringed. If she didn't know any better, it was almost in response to that idle thought but she had put no effort in pushing it forward into his mind.

No. She had already told herself that suicide was never the answer. That was what got her in trouble in the first place, her impulsivity, her recklessness and she knew right then just as she determined before that killing herself was never the solution. _Should never have been on that bridge. The Doctor was right. _She thought. _What would Lilly think? She would never forgive me._

He seemed to look down at her with a look of surprise before turning to Nine.

"What's the verdict?"

"Severe neuropathy. Acute intracranial pressure." He grimaced. "Lucky she can self heal but she's depleted so-"

Nine nodded, understanding immediately. "Do what needs doing."

Ten turned to Sara and attempted to explain. "I need to induce a sleep state to reduce the blood flow so the swelling can decrease. The pressure in your brain will go down." He took her hand. "Do you understand?"

She could comprehend all to well and at the moment she didn't care because she was in agony but she was unable to move, unable to summon the strength to convey this thought. She blinked at him hoping he would understand. _Please. _Her entire body throbbed. _It just hurts. Make it stop. Make it-_

His hands flew to her temples. _Sleep. _Oblivion was such a welcome respite.

As Ten lifted Sara into his arms one of the lab technicians dared to glance at him muttering. "The men outside…" He paused. "They're gone. Will they..?" They had been ripped away right in front of their eyes.

Ten shook his head. "They had their chance." He looked at them coolly. "Stay away from my family." He made his way back to the TARDIS as Nine looked at the men hard. In some respects, it was a shame that those humans would forget their obliterated associates in a matter of minutes.

"Nearly took the whole universe with you. Stupid apes. Playing with fire. Seen enough, have you?" Nine was boiling with rage.

"She killed four of our-"

He turned on them livid. "She did nothing. You lot ramped up her wavelengths, made them out of sync, ripped them out of time. Now you know, everything has a time and everything dies." He told them, in the same cold tone that he told Cassandra. With that, he followed behind Ten feeling utterly disgusted with the depths of human depravity. Taking a swift breath of air, he got inside the TARDIS, closing the door, he navigated the time machine into the vortex before heading into the medbay to assist his counterpart.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara could feel the hum in the background as she slowly began blinking her eyes open. The lights were bright and cheery, but the room felt off. It felt too quiet.

_Where am I_, she thought. Instantly, Ten was by her side.

"It's alright. You're on the TARDIS." He looked worried. His hair was unkempt, and he looked like he'd been wearing the same clothes for days, like he hadn't slept. "I've been here the whole time," he explained, squeezing her hand. Even his touch felt off. Everything felt... muddled. "You're going to be fine." He smiled at her. He started nodding as he glanced at the monitor at the head of her bed. "You're going to be just fine."

Nine had been able to install the mending beds from his TARDIS. He'd completely rebuilt the medbay, integrating his systems into Ten's. That's why Sara hadn't recognized the room. It no longer looked like the infirmary she'd been trapped in.

"Sara..." Ten started, but his voice sounded off. _Am I dreaming? _thought Sara.

"No. No, you're awake. You're safe. But Sara, I need to ask. I need to know what happened to Lilly." As a touch telepath holding the hand of his bonded puerile, Ten could hear clearly what Sara asked.

With a start, all the memories of what just happened flooded back into her mind. She remembered the escape. She remembered almost jumping off a bridge, and being kidnapped. She remembered being strapped down, and stabbed with needles, and... Oh! That machine. She remembered that horrible machine. She remembered how it felt as the hot piercing electricity tore through her body with sharp razor-like pain. They'd wanted her. UNIT had wanted her. They'd wanted the energy her body was creating. And they'd almost taken it. Sara remembered how she could feel the universe begin to warp and buckle apart just like she'd felt Jackson Lake's son buckle out of existence as the energy she contained was being thrown out of balance.

"I..." She covered her face in shame at what she'd almost done. "I almost destroyed the universe," she managed. "I'm a weapon. You were right. I'm just a..."

"No, Sara." He placed his other hand on top of the hand he was already holding, so he was cupping it. "You're a person. You're not a weapon or a tool or anything. You're just a person." Ten felt Sara calm slightly. "I need to know what happened to Lilly. I know you would never have hurt her intentionally. And I'm not going to be angry. But I need to know."

"We shouldn't have run." Sara uncovered her face and looked at the Doctor.

"Weeell. I won't argue with that." He smiled at her. Even though Lilly was still dead or missing, he was grateful to have Sara back in his custody.

"Lilly's alive," she said. "I lied. I didn't hurt her. But if UNIT gets her before..."

"She won't survive that machine," finished Ten. "She doesn't self heal." He frowned. "Sara, how come we can't locate her void energy pattern?"

Sara swallowed, and Ten felt her apprehension. "Donna made a biofilter out of her engagement ring for me. She said it wouldn't let you see the void energy."

"Donna?!"

Sara couldn't feel Ten's emotions. She felt empty, alone, closed off. But she could see the frustration on his face.

"You... you talked to Donna," he went on, trying to keep his frustration from turning into anger. "And she remembered?"

"When I touched her... So long as I was touching her, she remembered. She seemed fine. But as soon as we stopped touching, she would forget. She asked me to tell her everything. So, I did. But I had to be fast, 'cause touching her was draining me."

Ten nodded, pressing his lips together. "Must have something to do with the temporal energy you create balancing out the Time Lord mind," he muttered to himself. "Energy keeps it in balance, so she doesn't burn." He gave Sara a serious look. "That was very dangerous," he warned. "You could have killed her. If your energy was off by even point two mirostilts, she would have..." He swallowed. "Don't ever do that again," he ordered.

"Ok." Sara frowned. If she'd been wrong about running, about how dangerous it really was, could she have been so wrong about seeing Donna? Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. It was hard to think. "What's wrong with me?" she asked. "I don't feel right. And... and I can't sense you anymore."

Ten sighed. He sat on the side of her bed, still holding her hand. "You're deaf," he answered. "When you were about to jump, I... I had to do something. I had to save you. So, I sent a stream of mental images through our bond. But a family bond isn't meant to be able to carry that kind of load. The human mind wasn't built for telepathy anyway. So, there's damage. Sending you that information..." He paused and looked mournfully down at their hands. "Letting you know how much you mean to me, to us, was the only way I could think to save you. But it's like hearing a really loud, really long blast of noise. It can damage your hearing. Sometimes your hearing comes back, but sometimes it doesn't. I can still hear you, feel you, but you can't sense me. I'm sorry."

Sara looked up at the Time Lord looking down on her with compassion. She realized how quiet everything felt, how empty, how... alone. The pressing emptiness was overwhelming. All this time Sara hadn't realized how comforting it was to be connected with someone else. She'd only thought of it as some kind of bondage, some kind of leash. But now that it was missing, she understood what a profound gift it had been. It was something most humans would never experience. They would never know what they were missing. She could no longer hear Ten's words, she couldn't sense his moods, or feel his emotions. She took in a shuddered breath.

"Will it come back," Sara asked.

"I don't know, Sara. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Ten understood what it was like to be alone. When his planet was gone, and all his people with it, the absence of their minds in the back of his was more than overwhelming. After centuries of feeling the emptiness, having Nine and then Rose and Sara with him was more than he'd ever dreamed of having ever again. But now his puerile was suffering as he had. She'd known what it was like to be telepathically connected, and now it had been taken away. Even with the blocks in place Rose could still feel Ten's emotions. He and Nine had made sure not to cut her off completely. Ten's sacrifice to not feel his wife had been tempered by the fact he could still feel his puerile's emotions and hear any of her strong emotional cries. He could also feel Nine in the back of his mind like white noise. It was comforting not to be alone anymore. But Sara, Sara could feel nothing. She was cut off. She was telepathically deaf.

She winced at his words. "I.. I need..."

"I know." Ten pulled her up into a hug just as she started to weep. He held her like any father would as she cried. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he kept repeating, while rubbing her back gently. Ten blamed himself. If he'd been watching her more closely, Sara would never have gotten away. If he'd never become the Time Lord Victorious, she never would have been so traumatized. Maybe she wouldn't have tried to run. Maybe she wouldn't have tried to jump. If he'd been honest with her about her time sensitivity, if he'd told her from the beginning she hadn't seen any of it on the tele, that it was just her way of perceiving time, maybe she'd trust him more now. Maybe she never would have run, never would have felt the need to die to get away from him. Maybe she wouldn't have been so angry. Maybe she would have been willing to listen to the plan the Doctors had hatched so she and Lilly could have close to a normal life. She could have been happy.

But that couldn't happen now. Since the girls had run in the way they did, they'd drawn attention to themselves. They'd put themselves in danger, thereby endangering the universe, and ruining any chance of giving them the life they wanted so badly. They could never be left without the protection of the TARDIS now. They were stuck.

After Sara's sobs finally calmed, Ten helped her lay back on the bed. He'd inclined it, so she could rest while sitting up.

"We need to get Lilly," she managed. Her voice was weak from all her crying.

"I know," said Ten. "We're in the vortex, so there's no hurry. We can stay here as long as you need to recover. But once we land we'll become part of events. We might need your help to find her."

"What can **I **do?" she asked.

Ten nodded towards her. "Well, for starters you can use that wonderful gift of yours to help us locate her. The TARDIS is having problems homing in. Probably thanks to that perception filter she's wearing. That's good news though. If she's invisible to me, she should be invisible to UNIT and the other agencies which would love to get their hands on her."

"Other agencies?"

"Oh, loads of them." He sniffed, putting his hands in his pockets. "At least one for every country. And those are just the one's on Earth."

"You never said."

"I didn't want you to worry." He brought a glass of something blue for Sara to drink. "I wanted you to feel safe."

Sara tried to take the glass, but she was too weak to lift it on her own. Ten brought it to her lips, and gently tipped it.

"There," he said soothingly as she drank. "Good. Take your time. There's no hurry."

"What is that?" She asked, when she finally finished. It was soothing and comforting to her previously parched throat.

"Mending gel." Ten explained. "My counterpart brought it on board. We had you soaking in it the first few days. It's a nutrition and hydration substitute as we waited for your energy to return."

Sara supposed it was a better alternative then the cellular regeneration faults she was forced into the last time she was exposed to electricity.

He put the glass down and she swallowed nervously, closing her eyes as she cast her thoughts on Lilly while she felt Ten squeeze her hand.

"It's alright. You'll help us find her."

Sara knew she couldn't lie and she remembered feeling the horror her deceit had caused when she fabricated the memory of her eradication of Lilly. She couldn't pretend to be something she wasn't and she knew she had never been time sensitive.

"I-" She started to say.

"Feelin' better?"

She glanced over to see Nine had entered the medbay and her guilt was immeasurable. After all, he knew Lilly longer then she had and for all intents and purposes he would have seen her as nothing more then a killer. Her hands started to tremble.

"I'm sorry." The raw emotion was clear in her voice. "I'm really sorry for what I said about Lilly." A tear trickled down her cheek. "I didn't mean it."

Nine's face showed signs of immense relief and he smiled. He had been right after all and he shook his head. _Humans. _"Think I knew you wouldn't." He told her. "Just trying to help her, right?"

Sara looked miserable, unable to answer the question as Ten put his arm around her shoulder.

"Lilly has a biofilter so we can't track her through her void matter." Ten explained to Nine. "Sara got it through an old companion which only leaves one other way of finding her."

Nine sighed remembering all to well how the last conversations progressed with Sara about her time sensitivity but then his counterpart had a point. _Least she's honest 'bout it. Don't have to guess what she's thinking. _Still, getting her to help would take some convincing.

"Sara, know this has been really hard the last week but since UNIT found you…"

"They'll find her." Sara concluded. "I know you need to get her back. I want to help but…"

"But?" Nine asked.

"I don't want to lie and I can't pretend to be something I'm not." She glanced down at her hands. "I don't have time sensitivity. Please," Her voice nearly broke as she turned to face Ten in desperation. The emptiness inside her was oppressive but maybe he could feel her despair and her fervency just to give her the slightest benefit of the doubt. "Can't you please try to believe me?" Tears began to fill her eyes. "I wouldn't lie, I swear. Not about this." Her voice cracked as Ten pulled her towards him in a comforting embrace, his hearts heavy as he glanced at Nine over the top of Sara's head who leaned against the bed, parallel to hers.

Nine grimaced knowing these matters would take time especially in Sara's when she had already endured weeks of trauma. They very nearly lost her twice and in entirely the same day. No. He would have to take this slowly with her because he knew it was the only way it was going to work.

"Don't think you're lyin' Sara." He knew she believed that what she was telling him was true.

She managed to turn, to afford Nine a glance and just by looking at his face, she felt her disappointment. "You just don't believe it's true." Sara said quietly. "That in my dimension, this was all a TV show." She tried to think about the reasons Nine didn't believe Lilly. "You told Lilly she didn't have any void matter when she arrived but I did so you know I'm from another dimension…"

"But you also have temporal energy." Ten explained. "Time particles that bind you to the vortex. They've been there since you arrived. The tele," He started and frowned remembering the exact circumstances of how he told Sara her dimension had been obliterated. He should have been gentler in his entire approach since she arrived completely disoriented, the need to compartmentalize her time sensitivity into a structure she could identify was understandable. ",weelll, there are thought patterns that find parallels in individuals, cultures or entire planets." He attempted to use a different method then he tried with Lilly.

"Thought patterns?" Sara repeated feeling confused. Lilly's version of events included a scientific and biological breakdown of the synaptic breakdown of the human mind in relationship to the iPod right before Ten had removed the name from Lilly's memory. This conversation didn't seem to fair any better.

"A mental or social blueprint. Your using the tele to create a bridge to help organize the information you're receiving. You see, matter and energy…"

No, it was going no better and she knew Lilly was right when she told her that regardless of what she said, they would never believe her that it had been a show on TV. She took a deep breath of air as she briefly reflected on her dead universe to where she was now finally realizing that this is what she had to come to terms with. Neither Nine nor Ten would consider it and she would have to accept that but on the other side of the coin she simply knew despite their science she wasn't time sensitive.

She knew Ten cared about her and that she wasn't just a life source for Rose now. Maybe if she hadn't been so angry, she could of listened to the conversation they were trying to broach, the one she had seen in her vision but now Lilly was in danger.

Her thoughts drifted back to the facility and something about it bothered her to an extent. Then she remembered what it was and she recalled waking up in this dimension in the Black Archive with Captain Magambo and Dr. Taylor. _The Black Archive is TARDIS proof and shields void matter. Why didn't they just take me there unless…_

"The Black Archive? You think Lilly might be there?" Ten asked gently. He still had his arm around her shoulders for support so he was able hear all her thoughts.

The emptiness on her side where the bond used to reside was immense and she wondered if in time she would ever get used to it or if this was her justified consequence for attempting to take her own life.

"It's just a guess." She explained glancing at Nine, not wanting him to think it was related to her 'gift'. "I woke up there when I first arrived in this dimension. Since it's TARDIS proof, I wondered why they didn't take me back there so maybe Lilly could be inside." It was a logical deduction given the circumstance. Surely he wouldn't-

"How'd you know it's TARDIS proof?" Nine asked, his voice soft but direct.

"I-" She started and her heart sank. "I saw it on the show." She swallowed. "I know you don't think it's real but for Lilly and I, it is. Can you at least try to accept that?"

Nine paused scrutinizing her. He never denied that Sara believed in what she claimed and he sighed wearily. "Think I can."

"Lilly was really hurt by what you both did. The fact is, she suggested escaping that time, not me." Sara told him as surprise radiated on Nine's face. "She was just like me. Trapped. Doing what she could to save the universe trying to follow two sets of rules and you don't know what it was like for her."

"Like to try. If we can get her back." Nine said.

"Why did you remove your name?" She asked as he grimaced. "She told me before you were worried about her sanity but she never tried to jump off a bridge or plunge a set of scissors into her chest. She never became catatonic. If anyone sanity's in question, its mine."

"Sara." Ten said quietly, taking her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. "I gave you my name because I trusted you. I was inside your mind and I felt everything you suffered. I saw how you went up against me to save the universe and it wasn't until you showed me the Valeyard…" He swallowed. "You earned my name and it was my decision to make. No human could walk away from what you did without losing a tad bit of their sanity. The minds a delicate thing. We'll just have to work on that."

"But Lilly-"

"Maybe someday." Nine said. "Would like to get to know her better. Now that she explained, if she lets me, I can get that chance. Hasn't earned it like you have."

_Great, some reward. _She frowned and gave a heavy sigh. "I'd prefer a car or maybe a cat." She heard them start to chuckle but she wondered if that would be of any consolation to Lilly. That she never wanted the name in the first place and how many times had she offered it back? She remembered thinking at the time she gave it to Lilly that it was just temporary but then she had forgotten to follow up and explain that the name really wasn't worth having. Ten had thought she had stolen it before she was visited by Eleven in a dream and briefly she pondered when Ten would regenerate so that those encounters could take place.

Would they take place since time had been rewritten? She wasn't sure but then she remembered Eleven visiting her when she had become catatonic and he informed her about the dimension being destroyed.

She began to feel tired, weighted down by lethargy while the emotional toll of her newfound emptiness made her yearn to sink back into sleep. She started to close her eyes. "Sara wait." Ten said.

"I'm tired. Don't know anymore." She said listlessly. "Just they used Gallifrey paintings to get inside before." Sara wasn't sure how that could help because Eleven had to call to get the painting moved into the Black Archive. Something told her they wouldn't be so amendable this time around.

"Stasis cubes?" Nine asked but Sara had already drifted off and Ten looked down at his puerile with worry. "Have to give her time." He told him. "You know what it means to be cut off."

Ten nodded, thinking of Rose. Of course Sara would want to sleep. It was a very human coping mechanism after what she had just lost.

"'S she alright?" Rose had walked into the medbay looking at Sara with concern. "Did you find Lilly?"

"She'll be fine." Nine told her. "Just takes time. As for Lilly, think we know where to start looking. Mind sitting with her for a bit?"

"Kay." She took a seat by Sara's bed as Ten glanced at the two of them reluctantly. "I'll call you if she wakes up." She told him softly.

He nodded and left the room, heading to the console with Nine. "The Black Archive is where you found Sara?" Nine asked.

"Weeelll, not exactly." Ten explained Sara's stunt and her subsequent escape as Nine chuckled. "Can't fault her determination."

"Not a bit." He raised his eyebrows. "Sara has a point. Didn't like what you asked me to do with Lilly. Not how it happened."

Nine paused. "She's my ward and it was my choice."

"Also my name shared with her by my puerile. It wasn't her fault." Ten was ridden by guilt for what he had put both Sara and Lilly through. "Sara was trying to protect Lilly from me."

"Yes Sara told me. Was honest about it." With all of Sara's temper, she didn't try to side step him even though he knew her condition was a delicate one.

Ten let out a breath of air. "Lilly's really hurt. We have to do better by her." He had been trying but he knew removing her memory had set him several steps back. It hadn't just reflected on his counterpart's relationship with his ward but also on his with Lilly's.

"I intend to." Nine readily admitted he missed their friendship and when he got her back, he would work with her on it to repair it. _Course, some things can never be the same again. _First things first, he had to find her. "You knew 'bout them TARDIS proofing a room?"

"They called me to consult on Sara. I couldn't lock down to get inside because of the time lock they have installed."

"Time lock? Humans but that-"

"Torchwood did it. Remember Jack?" Ten asked.

"Lilly's friend."

"Yes, well, he ran Torchwood for a few years. Installed a simple version of one. The Black Archive has the same thing put in place by a meson projection system." Ten told him.

"How'd Sara get out the door?"

"No electronics on the door. Simple lock and key. They left the door open." Ten narrowed his gaze. "With the biofilters in place, best I can do is materialize outside of the Tower of London unless…"

He looked closely at the particular time frame noticing a possible gap in the structural integrity of their threshold system, which kept the time lock in sync. He knew other humans within the perimeter might have missed it for the variance was offset by only twenty kilohertz. _Was it unintentional? _Either way, he would take it though it would be a tight squeeze. He glanced at Nine. "Seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Small offset in the field of the time lock. Think we can hit it?" Nine asked, bending over the console.

"Rough fit but we'll get her inside." Both of them set to work preparing for dematerialization.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lilly had watched Dr. Taylor pause to look at her while he was setting up the IV only to glance down at the contents on the tray beside him. "Excuse me Captain. I don't have the right dosage of thiopental for her body weight. I'll have to retrieve the proper-"

"Is that really necessary?" Captain Magambo seemed irritated and impatient but Lilly did recall in the show she held a gun on Dr. Taylor to try to force him to close the rift before the Doctor returned.

"Yes. The dosage strength I have here would act as a sedative and she would not be lucid enough to provide any useful responses."

The Captain sighed and nodded shortly as Dr. Taylor left heading towards the back of the room.

"You still have time to change your mind." She informed Lilly. "Make it easier on yourself."

Lilly remembered her from the "Turn Left" episode how she helped Rose and Donna in the alternate timeline restore everything to how it was meant to occur so Donna could deliver the Bad Wolf warning to the Doctor. The captain wouldn't remember that since it had been overwritten and she wasn't present for 'The Planet of the Dead'.

She remembered all the times Sara had told her she tried to run so she could remove herself from impacting the Doctor's timeline. Lilly had tried to be more diplomatic about it but in the end for both girls, it had been a futile endeavor and they had seriously altered events in contrast to how they were supposed to occur on the show.

"I do know that time has been altered so nothing I know can help you. It's just nonsense from a show. I promise." Lilly protested. "You should be helping the Doctor and trying to protect the universe."

"Last time I tried to help the Doctor, he took what we found and vanished. We had no time to do a routine questioning." Captain Magambo said fiercely.

"You mean he just came in here and grabbed Sara without explanation?" Lilly knew he was sliding down the path of the Time Lord Victorious when he had picked up Sara but that seemed rather harsh, even to her.

"No, she used a distraction and ran out." The captain explained. "Knew exactly where to go." She could tell that the captain was still furious about it.

"She lost her entire universe. She was just scared." Lilly told her quietly. "Please, I don't want to help you lose yours."

The woman's face was entirely closed off and Lilly's heart sank as Dr. Taylor eventually returned with a new tray while he slowly went about uncoiling the IV. Finally, taking an alcohol swab, he dabbed it to the crook of Lilly's elbow as he tied a band on her forearm to help expose a vein.

"I'll be as quick as I can." He assured her as he entered the needle into her vein, while slowly prodding the catheter inside to get full access into her bloodstream, which brought quick tears of pain to her eyes.

"I thought you were better. You stood up for the Doctor. You…" Her voice faded of as tears trickled down her cheeks, her voice heavy with disappointment and she could nearly detect the grimace on his features.

"Go ahead." Captain Magambo ordered and Dr. Taylor sighed reluctantly and he picked up the syringe, making a spurious glance to the back as he entered the needle into the bag of saline solution and slowly started to disperse the drug into her blood stream.

Lilly's eyes began to glaze over and her muscles relaxed on the table. Her breathing started to slow and the captain glanced at Dr. Taylor for a cue to begin her questioning. "Give it two minutes to reach her higher cortical synapses and her cognitive functions should be altered to be able to give you the answers you want."

He hoped he bought enough time, his measurements had to be so precise but he was their top scientist and if her warnings had the slightest possibility of being true, he didn't want to take the risk. Dr. Taylor allowed for the smallest micro measure of a breach in the system guarding the archive. It was as much as he could afford to do and he hoped it would be sufficient.

Minutes were ticking by as Lilly murmured. "Sara…San Pancreas…will wait for you."

"I think we're ready to start." Captain Magambo proclaimed adamantly. "Tell us, Lilly Brooks, how did you meet the Doctor?"

"Was hiking with my friends." Her voice was flat. "Started with a paradox. I told myself to get into his TARDIS. That I was dreaming and it would be fun."

"Then what?"

"Ran inside. Met the Doctor and Rose. He didn't trust me. Tried to warn him that the Nestene Consciousness would think him a threat. Didn't believe me but he did later. Tried to save his life. Said, it didn't matter. I owed him more the he owed me. Nothing more then a problem they need to babysit, a burden.-"

"Wouldn't say that." Nine suddenly interrupted, as he made quick strides to the center of the room confronting Captain Magambo and Dr. Taylor. "Believe that's my ward you have there."

"Doctor?" Lilly murmured weakly.

Captain Magambo was quick to raise her weapon as Ten emerged as backup to Nine. "One chance. You reealllly don't want to be doing that."

"Took the last one we had."

Ten stared at her with incredulity. "Sara was way out of your league and you knew it."

Lilly suddenly lapsed into complete unconsciousness as Nine turned on Dr. Taylor furiously. "What did you do to my ward?"

"Nothing. Had to buy time. Gave her a strong dose of sodium thiopental so she would simply fall asleep." Dr. Taylor swallowed. "I took part of the time lock shields of line. I'm sorry, I knew…"

Captain Magambo looked at Dr. Taylor incredulously. "Dr. Taylor, you had your order!"

"I couldn't do it. I just couldn't."

"This is treason. I'll see you in prison for this." She seethed.

"For what?" Ten challenged. "Trying to help save the universe? Would you have charged Lilly full of electricity as well just like Sara?"

Dr. Taylor looked horrified. "Captain?"

"Different facility. They thought they could harvest her energy and-"

Ten stared straight into Captain Magambo's eye's easily accessing the psychic empathy field once again using the power of his words. "Three words." He said as she stared at him at him transfixed. "Resign. You're unfit." He left her with the glazed expression on her face turning back to Dr. Taylor, Nine and Lilly.

Dr. Taylor was shaking as Nine began to run a diagnostic on Lilly. "You're not going to…" He was afraid that he would share the same fate as the captain.

"No. I'm not that kind of man." _Not anymore. _He thought. "I'm the Doctor." He told him slowly, glancing at Nine. "Lilly alright?"

"Most part. Just heavily sedated. Was telling the truth." Nine said.

"There's two of you." Dr. Taylor said in amazement.

"Weeellll, that's a long story." Ten paused. "Thank you. Nice work on the gap in the time lock. Any other person would have missed it. You really are a genius."

"I don't think my talents will be of any use here anymore once I'm court martialed." Dr. Taylor said mournfully and Ten let out a breath of air, glancing at Nine who had snapped her bonds free and already swept Lilly up into his arms. "Maybe we can offer you a ride."

Dr. Taylor looked overcome. "Really on your…" His voice couldn't even specify the word. "It would be an honor. Even just having the chance to meet you is more then I deserve after…"

Ten grimaced thinking about the Time Lord Victorious and the destruction of the parallel universe. He remembered how Sara begged him not to let Christina go to prison by taking her as a companion. The least he could do was move Dr. Taylor out of UNIT and not ending up behind bars.. Martha and Mickey were working freelance and there was Jack. He could work with people he trusted here on earth where he would be safe and less ethically compromised.

"One ride. Better places for you to work then UNIT." He told Dr. Taylor as they made their way back to the TARDIS.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara woke up again feeling desolate and swallowed hard seeing Rose asleep at her side. On some level, Rose must know what she was going through. The rapid churning of emotions, the start and stopping of a bond that was difficult to control that she didn't fully understand. She could only imagine that lately Rose hadn't been able to rest very well but now for Sara, the silence in her mind was unbearable. She didn't know how she coped before and she barely managed to curl up on her side, pressing her eyes shut, thinking in desperation. _Maybe it will come back. Maybe it will…._But what if it didn't? She had tried to kill herself and this had not been her only attempt. This was her consequence. The price she had to pay for her reckless inclination.

A hand squeezed her shoulder and she opened her eyes. It was Ten who had carefully moved to her side around Rose. "We found Lilly. You were right all along."

"The machine?" Sara suddenly became more alert. "Was she…?"

"No…they wanted details about the future from her. The paradoxes that would have created…"

She saw Nine place Lilly on one of the medbay beds, glancing at the Gallifreyian streaming right above his ward.

"I'm sorry I gave her the biofilter. She was just so hurt and I wanted to help…" Her voice trailed. There was little else she could say. At least Lilly was safe. _How did they find her without the biofilter?_

"She wasn't wearing it. It could have fallen of or maybe have gotten stolen. Have to ask her when she wakes I s'pose." He paused. "Feel up for a guest?"

"A guest?"

"Just about to drop him off but thought you should say hello before he left." Ten suggested.

Sara was startled to see Dr. Taylor walk through the medbay doors and looked at him readily. "Dr. Malcolm Taylor." She remembered him from when she woke up in the Black Archive. "Malcolms per second. 100 Malcolms equals-"

"A Bernard." Dr. Taylor looked astonished. "Both of you knew the exact detail of my own measurement."

"You named a measurement after yourself?" Ten asked.

Sara frowned. "When we met Christina on the bus, it was supposed to go into the tunnel and to this other planet. Dr. Taylor helped you save everyone onboard except the bus driver didn't make it."

_Amazing how she perceives alternate timelines. _Ten thought and sighed. It would take some work ahead because she still fervently believed that the information she acquired was the result of a program on the tele but he resolved to be patient. There was no quick fix for either girl and now that things had changed, their last plan no longer a viable solution, they had to have a talk with both of their wards and resolve to be patient.

Mistakes were made on all sides. Maybe if they waited until they got Sara back before removing their name from Lilly, things might have been different.

"I'm sorry I said you were made or just pretending to be a character. It was bizarre. I thought I was dreaming." Sara was explaining to Dr. Taylor.

"Quite all right. Although Captain Magambo never did threaten me with a gun like you said."

Sara swallowed and glanced away, taking a deep breath. "No, I guess she didn't." _Because I was there. I changed things and now instead Christina is dead. _

Ten sighed, clearly hearing what Sara thought as he ran his hand through Sara's hair before standing up. "Lilly should be up in no time as soon as we flush the drug out of her system."

"All they did was put her to sleep?" Sara frowned.

"Yup." Ten smiled. "Thanks to him." He gestured towards Dr. Taylor and suddenly it made sense why he was there. He had helped to intercede and save Lilly. "Thank you. You're the very person I thought you were." Sara told him.

"You know, that's strange because your friend said something similar." Dr. Taylor pondered.

"Small world." Sara replied.

They walked over to Lilly's bed and Sara was left to stare at her wondering how she would feel to be back in the place she had tried to flee from. Would she think Sara had betrayed her? It was only with her experience with UNIT that she knew she never wanted that for Lilly and was desperation now that her bond had been stifled on her side, she needed Lilly more then ever. She hoped Lilly would feel the same way and know how important she was to Sara. Even before the bond, she was the first person to reach out to her and made her feel not quite so alone. She believed her without question and without the need for telepathy, Sara knew a connection was there that they could both rely upon.

'_I guess now I know how important I am.' _Lilly had told Sara. "You are important, Lilly." Sara whispered. "You have no idea how important you are."

Even said in a faint voice, Nine heard every word and his face softened as he looked down at Lilly who still remained unconscious, pushing a strand of hair away from her ear knowing Sara was right. "Why didn't you listen?" He murmured to her shaking his head, perplexed at Lilly's sudden flight. "I would have…" Nine's voice trailed off as he shook his head. It didn't matter now. The circumstances had changed for both his wards and he took a step back, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, taking a moment to watch Lilly closely. _How can I go 'bout fixin' this?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lilly emerged to consciousness seeing the familiar lights of the TARDIS medbay and blinked in confusion as she tried to clarify what had taken place. She remembered being taken by UNIT, the room she was held in which they called the Black Archive and then the interrogation. She didn't want to risk the destruction of another universe and then everything became so blurry. She blinked her eyes in confusion to clear away the haze.

"Lilly?" Nine asked softly.

She could hardly glance at either Doctor right now, overwhelmed by what she had endured again all for the sake of knowing who the Doctor was.

"You're both safe now." Ten offered.

_Both. Sara and I. They got her back too. _"Where is she?" Lilly asked referring to Sara.

"Other bed." Nine answered. "Ones that snatched her weren't quite so gentle. Take her another day to get on her feet. Have Dr. Taylor to thank for his help."

"But he…" Lilly was perplexed.

"Knocked you out, lowered the shielding so we could get you." Nine explained.

Lilly glanced over, pushing herself up on her elbows looking at Dr. Taylor. "Thank you. What I said was wrong. You are a good person like I thought you were."

"Just doing my part. You and your friend. So much alike." He lowered his voice. "Does she think the future is from the tele too?"

She could feel both the Doctors gazes upon her and she grimaced under the intensity as she took a deep breath. "I, well, you'll have to ask her." Lilly said, wearily, side stepping Dr. Taylor's question. She got on her feet, moving away, avoiding any direct eye contact with either Nine or Ten before she was questioned further. "Thanks again." Lilly called over her shoulder to Dr. Taylor while Nine and Ten traded looks of concern.

Lilly started to make her way to Sara's side swallowing hard taking in the new circumstances. _New circumstances? These are just the ones we originally had. _Their venture to obtain freedom had failed and Lilly could have been the cause of a paradox that might have destroyed this universe. Having been captured twice, she now honestly understood how dangerous the information she had would be if it fell into the wrong hands. It still did little to ease the pain of the Doctor's lack of trust in her when he removed his name.

"Sara?" Lilly asked going to her friend's who was huddled on her side. From her expression, she appeared to still be in some agony. _Shouldn't they have fixed that? _"You okay?" Lilly asked. "Are you in pain?"

Sara saw the confused expression on Lilly's face and did her best to relax her features. "No, I'm doing alright. Just can't move terribly well." She paused. "I'm so glad they found you. I mean, I'm sorry I had to tell them but UNIT found me and-" Sara made a choked sob in the back of her throat.

Lilly took her hand. "It's fine, I…what they were trying to do…" Lilly's voice trailed off.

"The biofilter?"

"I was mugged in the Underground." Lilly told her.

Sara grimaced. "I should of warned you about them but I didn't think you would stay in London." She glanced down at Lilly's hand. "I'm so sorry. I tried to get away and I.."

"What?" Lilly asked.

"I almost made a terrible mistake. I didn't even think." Sara swallowed as she quickly described her arrival in Scotland, seeing the TARDIS, her run to the bridge and the horrific vision that would have occurred if she had jumped.

Lilly's face went pale and her stomach clenched at the thought of it. She would have been left entirely alone but she could clearly see the regret on Sara's expression. "You won't…" Her voice trailed at the word. "After that you won't right?"

Sara shook her head. "No. We still have each other, right?"

Lilly smiled at her bleakly. She may have lost her trust and felt hurt by what the Doctors did but at least Sara was still here who shared her same experiences of Dr. Who being a TV Show.

'_This is just a gilded cage.' _She had told Ten just before he had removed his name and she wondered whether Sara still felt the same way. Trapped by the enemies of the Doctor on the outside, kept in the TARDIS by the Doctors themselves and barricaded on all sides. Judging by Sara's expression, there was a form of resignation in her eyes and Lilly took a deep breath.

"We still have each other."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara found the presence within the TARDIS somewhat of a comfort to fill the void that was left behind when she had been rendered deaf to Ten's telepathy. At least the gentle nudges in the back of her mind were there to remind her that she wasn't isolated and while she wondered alone in the library, grasping her still unopened cameo, she nearly stumbled over a sonic screwdriver that suddenly appeared at her feet.

She picked it up gingerly, examining the device as she felt information starting to trickle into her mind. This time it wasn't about how to get cash from ATM's or to put money on credit cards but something far more valuable and she smiled. "Thank you." Sara whispered in gratitude to the TARDIS, putting the sonic in her pocket.

Quietly, she made her way out of the library deciding she couldn't stand the further loneliness and made her way to the console room where she saw Nine and Ten working quietly at the console. Ten glanced up at her with a smile and she knew he could feel her presence despite the fact she couldn't feel his. She attempted to return the gesture but wasn't quite sure she managed it from seeing the look of concern on his face.

She looked away and took a deep breath, knowing that despite the circumstances, she would adapt because that was who she was. Self-determined and independent. She lived without the bond before and somehow she would force herself to do so again.

She spotted Lilly who was listlessly sitting at the open TARDIS door, with her feet dangling over the edge, watching the stars as they floated by. They were in space and Sara knew the oxygen bubble had been extended like she had seen so many times on the show, however special effects failed to encapsulate the actual vistas she was witnessing. Without hesitation, Sara sat down right next to her and Lilly offered her a fleeting smile before returning to gaze at a crescent moon waxing in the light of a distant sun.

"How are you?" Sara asked quietly, trying to keep her voice low to maintain privacy.

Lilly shook her head. "Tired." She expressed. "Sometimes, I find myself forgetting…"

"Forgetting what?" Sara asked.

"My family, my little brother, my sisters, my friends. Are they….?" Lilly swallowed. "One minute I was hiking and then the next. Do they remember me?"

Sara squeezed her hand. "I think they do. Remember what you told me?" She paused and whispered. "The idea of what we understand is beyond them. Don't let them tell you differently."

"This wasn't the first time I was taken because I knew the Doctor." Lilly's hands trembled as she looked at Sara. "I almost died if it wasn't for Jack."

"What happened?"

Lilly told her about Torchwood, Mr. Bedford who interrogated her and attempted to torture her when Jack interceded, killing him first.

"Guess Jack wasn't running things then." Sara shuddered.

"No, it was Torchwood One." Lilly clarified. "They nearly killed me before the vortex manipulator sent me back."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I…" Sara's voice drifted and she could only imagine how terrified Lilly must have been trying to stop a paradox from happening, to being captured by Torchwood and she watched Lilly's eyes start to glaze over as the girl seemed to stretch her legs. Sara could see all too well the brief temptation it was for Lilly to simply let go and drift from the TARDIS, into the vast emptiness of space in front of her.

"You and Nine told me once not to give up." Sara told Lilly quietly holding the other girl's arm. "I think I finally know what that means." Lilly glanced at her as Sara took a deep shuddering breath. "Killing myself was never the answer even before. I didn't think and never saw the consequences until that bridge and…" Tears came to Sara's eyes. "I'm sorry, I finally understand."

"Understand what?" Lilly asked. She was glad to not have lost Sara. What would she have done if she had been deserted and left all alone?

"We're here for a purpose, the both of us." Sara said as she unhooked the cameo around her neck, thinking about her own lost family. "Maybe we both thought it was just an accident or we were cursed but I don't believe that anymore. We watched the shows and were brought to this universe to be with the Doctors for a reason, which means you're important too."

"Not like you." Lilly said faintly. "They took their name back while you-"

Sara sighed, thinking hard. "Ten gave it to me to get me out of a catatonic trance. Is that how you want to earn it? I didn't want it at all. I'm sorry, I was only trying to protect you from him and I…" She paused. "Does it matter what their name is? It was a mistake how I got it. When I accidentally found out Ten's name I never told him and he only found out when he went inside my mind." She murmured.

Lilly looked at her with sympathy remembering her own experiences and the way his touch felt in her own mind. "How often did that happen?" She whispered.

"I-well," Sara took a deep breath, murmuring. "We went to the New Roman Empire and they had this type of art and I got infested by these mind parasites. I remember it pretty clearly now and Ten had to force his way into my mind at first to get them out. It felt like-It felt like…a violation. Completely intimate and painful. His presence crawled on me forcing his way…like a part of me he shouldn't be able to take. Only he did it again and again." Sara was shivering as Lilly was nodding remembering what happened to her.

"Yes, I-" Lilly started to whisper in confirmation.

"What?!" Ten exclaimed startled. "What was that?" He hadn't actually heard the whole thing. But he'd heard enough to peak his interest. Nine glanced up from the work he was doing.

The girls turned to look at Ten. "Time Lord super hearing," whispered Lilly. She frowned, and wouldn't meet his eyes.

Ten raised his eyebrows. "How do you mean?"

"Oh, just that you hear really well," answered Sara.

"Cheeky," he shot back. "You know I mean about the telepathy."

Lilly turned back to look out at the stars. She didn't want to talk about it with him.

"It..." Sara shook her head, and turned away. Sensing her hesitation, Ten walked over to the girls, and squatted down behind Lilly, but facing Sara.

"Oh, c'moooon. I'm dying to know. You know me. Curious George. No. Well. Sort of. Well. Anyway, the point is I want to know. What's it like for a human?"

Sara couldn't help but smile at his ramblings. The truth was this Doctor could be rather endearing when he wasn't being moody. "I'm sure you're used to it," she said. "But for a human, it was pretty... intense."

"I don't want to talk about this," said Lilly. She stood up to leave. But Ten was still in the way, so she stayed standing in place.

"Talk about wha'?" asked Rose with a mug of tea in her hand. She just walked into the room.

"How telepathy feels to humans," answered Nine. He'd stopped what he was doing, equally curious to hear the description.

"'S different with different people, yeah?"

"How do you mean?" asked Nine.

"Well, with you it feels like water or jello in your head." She turned to look at Ten. "But with you 's like... 's almost like..." Rose closed her mouth. She blushed.

"Ohh. Well that's 'cause we're..." Ten brought his finger back and forth between them. "We're... You know." He turned back to the other girls. "But we're not, so... what's it like? Am I all jello and water too?"

"Can we just let it go?" asked Lilly. "We've moved on. We don't have to think about it now."

"Oh, c'mon," pleaded Ten. "How often do you get to learn about something from an alien's perspective?"

"Speaking of an alien's perspective," said Sara, deliberately changing subjects. "What was that in those images you sent me on the bridge about you two taking turns, staying with us on Earth. Something about giving us a normal life?" She was remembering when Nine had told Rose all about the Time Lord's plan for Sara and Lilly.

Lilly stopped thinking about leaving the room. _A normal life?_

"Oh. That." Ten frowned.

"What?" asked Lilly.

"If the other Doctor and I took turns staying with you on Earth, you could have stayed like you wanted," answered Ten.

Lilly's face started to light up. Ten continued, "We tried to talk with you about it before, but..."

"Can't do it now," explained Nine, cutting off Ten before Lilly could get her hopes up too high. He stepped a little closer. "Too many agencies found out about you two with that little stunt you pulled."

Lilly's face fell. Sara stood up and took her hand.

"There's... I'm sorry." Ten stood up too. "There's no way to keep you safe without the TARDIS. The plan won't work anymore." Ten honestly looked apologetic.

Lilly let go of Sara's hand. She turned back to face the stars outside. She felt so frustrated. "Little stunt I pulled," she muttered under her breath.

Nine was still angry Lilly'd run off. He had never treated her the way Ten had treated Sara. He'd never locked her up or forced her to sleep. He hadn't even forced her to travel with him. He'd asked. And if she'd said no, he'd been fully prepared to stay on Earth to protect her. But no. She couldn't treat him with common respect. She couldn't be open and honest with him. She couldn't come to him with her grievances. Instead, she chose to be angry with him. She refused to give him a chance, to listen. Instead, she'd run off, almost got herself killed, and put the rest of the universe in danger.

Likewise Lilly wasn't happy with Nine. All she'd ever tried to do was keep the universe safe. She'd never wanted to travel with him. But she did anyway, so the Doctor wouldn't be trapped on Earth. She'd always respected the Doctor in 'Doctor Who'. And after the experiences she'd lived with him, her admiration for the real man only grew. She would have loved to tell him everything she knew. But every time she shared something with him, he got after her. He'd shut her down. She knew why. She understood. So, she'd done the best she could.

But when he'd insisted she give his name back, he'd hurt her so badly she couldn't even look at him, let alone talk with him. It's not that she wanted his name. She honestly couldn't care less. It was the message asking for his name back sent. He didn't trust her. She wasn't good enough. Everything she'd been willing to give up and suffer for him didn't matter. And even though Sara continually tried to let Lilly know how special, how important she was, Nine's actions spoke volumes in the opposite direction.

"What did you expect?" asked Lilly under her breath. She muttered something so quietly even Ten only caught the last bit, something about telepathy.

"Oh, yes," said Ten, remembering his earlier question. "Telepathy. You never said what that was like."

Sara glanced at Lilly. Had she said something? Sara had just managed to change the subject before. She knew she couldn't do that again.

"Go oooon," continued Ten. "What's it like?"

"Intimate," answered Sara.

"Intimate," Ten repeated, nodding. "And?"

"Frightening."

Ten felt a tiny remnant of the fear Sara was describing coming from her memory. He frowned. "Frightening?"

He reached out, laying a comforting hand on his puerile's arm, trying to chase away her fear.

That was a mistake. Normally, Ten wouldn't have picked up on her stray thoughts. Unless she sent them to him, or he was touching her when she put her thoughts into words, he could only feel her emotions. But when he kept asking about the telepathy, she'd started to think about it. She'd started to remember. She remembered it with strong, strong emotion. So, when Ten laid a comforting hand on Sara's arm, he was hit with the full understanding of what his telepathy was like for a human.

He lived it. And he didn't like it. He felt the hurt, the pain, and the fear. He felt the intimacy. He sensed how she'd felt open, exposed, and powerless. He sensed how she felt trapped, forced, and the intrusion. He knew how badly her need to get away from the alien touch was. The pain was overwhelming. And there was no escape. He experienced the theft of something almost sacred, her thoughts. He lived her violation. Ten hissed as he scrambled to back away. He looked at Sara with a look of horror on his face.

"That!?" he said in disbelief. "That is what it's like for you?!" Rose felt his horror, and Nine watched, slightly concerned. Lilly turned around.

Sara swallowed, realizing he must have picked up on the emotions she was feeling. She didn't realize he'd felt anything more. So, with conscious effort she pushed away the memories and hurts. Instead, she pulled up something else. She pulled up her gratitude for saving her life when she'd first come to his universe. She pulled up her gratitude for rescuing her when she'd been taken by UNIT. She pulled up every ounce of forgiveness she could manage. And she sent them all towards him. Ten staggered back from her.

"You... You would forgive me THAT?!" Ten turned around, running his hands through his hair. He turned back, obviously agitated. "How could you forgive me that?" He looked at Lilly. "And you. What I did to you." For a moment the Time Lord was speechless. "You let me take back my name." He was astounded. "Why would you let me...?"

"You were both clear," said Lilly, referring to him and Nine. "Saying "no" wasn't an option."

"But why... Why didn't you ask the other Doctor? Jello and water has to be better than... than THAT."

"Jack said, for the universe's sake never to let him in my mind. I don't know what the danger was. But I'm not willing to risk this universe over it." Her answer was clear. This was why she'd left. This was why she'd run. And the Doctor couldn't blame her.

"I'm sorry," said Ten. "I am so, so sorry." He looked quickly between the girls. "I'm sorry," he repeated. The tenth Doctor moved quickly to leave the room, but Nine stepped close to him, grabbing his forearm.

"What is it?" he asked in Gallifreyan.

Ten didn't hesitate. He touched Nine's temple with one hand for only a moment. Nine inhaled, and stepped back. He looked at his counterpart with the same horror Ten had shown only a minute before. Without another word Ten ran from the room, glancing at Rose as he went.

What had it been like for her? Rose felt his turmoil. What had it been like for any of the humans he'd touched? A list of all the minds he'd come in contact with began running through his thoughts just like he was running through the TARDIS. Is this what Reinette felt? What about Donna? _Oh, Donna! _Ten's hearts sank even deeper. His best friend, the best friend he'd ever had, what had he made her suffer?!

A full minute after Ten touched him, Nine still stood stunned in the console room. The emotions and sensations his counterpart just shared with him were overwhelming. Is that what Sara had been repeatedly put through? He glanced over at his ward. Lilly's eyes met his. What about Lilly? Is that why she'd run? The sick feeling Nine felt in the pit of his stomach jarred him back into action. He bolted from the room, chasing after Ten. There was no way he was leaving the other Time Lord alone right now. He needed somebody.

"Wha' was that about?" asked Rose. She walked over to stand next to the other girls near the door. She shook her head, feeling Ten's torment.

"I think he found out how overwhelming telepathy is for us," answered Sara.

"Good," said Lilly.

"Good?" Rose stared at her friend. "Do you have any idea what he's going through right now? How much he's suffering? That man..." She pointed in the direction he'd run. "That man feels the weight of the universe on his shoulders every second of every hour of every day. The guilt he feels over the mistakes he's made... 'S terrible." She shook her head again. "'S awful. But it doesn't stop there, yeah? No. He feels for every person he couldn't save, every person he left behind. An' he keeps going. On his own. He's been trying to make it up to you. What he's done. He's been tryin' to fix it. But you... You think it's 'good' for him to have one more thing to feel guilty about, one more heartache." She gave Lilly a Jackie Tyler look. "Well, 's not. He knows he bolloxed everything up. An he's sorry. More sorry than anyone ever should have to be."

"Rose..." started Lilly.

"No. You're not perfect, Lilly. Nobody 's. So, quit puttin' on airs, and pretendin' you're any better," Rose went on. "Wha' happened to you? You used to care. Even about him. When no one else thought he was any good, you used to care." Before Sara or Lilly could change her mind, Rose ran to find the Doctor. She just needed to make sure he was all right. She needed to let him know... know what? She didn't know exactly why she needed to find him. She just knew he needed her.

"Wow," said Sara, when Lilly didn't speak.

Lilly dropped down to sit with her legs dangling out of the TARDIS. Her head was hanging low. Sara moved to sit next to her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Sara asked.

Lilly shook her head, tears in her eyes. She looked up at the star scape. "She's right. I used to be better than this. I..."

Sara put her arm around Lilly's shoulders, and gave her a squeeze. "No one can blame you for being mad."

"That doesn't make it right," answered Lilly.

"No. It just makes you normal, human. And there's nothing wrong with that." Sara let go of her friend. "You are human, aren't you?"

Lilly laughed. "Yeah."

"Good."

The girls sat together for quite awhile, just watching the stars. "Maybe I could paint something for Rose," said the younger girl. "I have all those videos on my iPod. I'm sure I have enough reference points to paint a decent Jackie Tyler. Do you think she'd like that? A little memory from home."

"She'd love it."

"I could paint something for the Doctors too. Maybe someone they both knew and..." "I don't think they'd like that," said Sara. "Why?"

Sara explained how Ten told her pictures of her lost family members would only make things worse when she'd first come on the TARDIS. "You notice he doesn't have any pictures hanging around the place."

Lilly nodded. "Yeah. I suppose." She'd wanted to make things right with the Time Lords. She didn't want to be THAT girl. She didn't want to be the kind of girl who carried a grudge, the kind of girl who was always angry. Maybe if she'd stopped being angry long enough, the Time Lords would have felt like they could have talked with her. Maybe they would have been able to tell her about their plan. She could be starting a new life on Earth right now, instead of being eternally stuck on an alien space ship. She blew out a long breath.

"Did you ever get any pictures?" asked Lilly, thinking of painting something for Sara too.

"This is all I have left," said Sara, holding up the locket and chain she had wrapped around her fingers. "It's got a picture inside, but it's stuck. I can't' open it."

"Is the clasp broken?"

"No, it's just stuck."

"Maybe the Doctors could..."

"I could sonic it," Sara said with sudden realization. "I don't need the Doctors." She laughed. Lilly watched as Sara pulled her sonic screwdriver from her pocket, and began working on her locket. She changed frequencies several times before it finally clicked. She put away her sonic screwdriver, and gently opened her last piece of home. It burst open instantly and she was surprised to see a shaft of golden light radiating outwards from the necklace. Energy that trickled into her but a quantity headed directly out of the TARDIS into a direction out towards the stars that she couldn't discern.

"What happened?" Lilly asked in surprise. This was not what she had been expecting and Sara shook her head in befuddlement. The Doctors weren't here to witness it and both girls looked at each other in confusion as they took a moment to watch the particles on their journey into space.

Sara breathed, steadying herself. "I wonder where they're going?" She asked Lilly finally before reflecting lovingly on the pictures of her parents. She handed it to Lilly to examine who offered her a smile. "I know I would like a painting." She thought of her lost friend on Mars. "Maybe one of Christina too."

It went unspoken between the two that what emerged from the cameo would be kept between the two of them as Sara stared at the figures for a while before closing the cameo, replacing it around her neck. The TARDIS had given her the second screwdriver with the intent for her to open the necklace. Maybe the sentience knew something she didn't and a fleeting smile came to her lips.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Donna Temple Noble was jarred out of sleep, opening her eyes as she was overcome by memories streaming back into her mind. It was overwhelming and yet it filled a void that she had been unable to explain as images of the Doctor, the TARDIS, the Ood, Pompeii, the Daleks and then she remembered how he stole that piece of her life from her even when she pleaded with him frantically against it.

She pushed herself out of bed heading out to the small kitchen, her heart racing as she tried to sort out the details. Donna remembered receiving the Time Lord Consciousness but all the technical details and how she used them were gone. She remembered Sara racing to her car begging for help and then touching her hand. Somehow she had made a biofilter for the girl to protect her from the Doctor knowing that he was in pursuit of Sara. However she got her memories restored had something to do with that girl who had lost her universe and was desperate to extricate herself from the Doctor. Did get away from him? Was she free?

Donna rubbed her head thinking of calling Wilf knowing her gramps would be delighted to see her restored and maybe he knew the outcome of what happened to the Doctor. She was reaching for the phone when she saw an unopened envelope that had come from today's post addressed to her. Picking it up, she saw there was no return address, which was indeed curious to her. She ripped it open and swallowed hard to find the exact amount of pounds she had given Sara, a lottery ticket with a small note attached.

_I'm sorry._

It was unsigned but Donna knew instinctively it was from Sara. Tears came to her eyes in the realization that Sara had been unable to escape and knew that in her inevitable circumstances, she was stuck, resigned to her fate. The red head let out a breath of air, leaning against the counter shaking her head in frustration. How did one human have the chance to outrun a Time Lord?

She glanced at the lottery ticket knowing that with the drawing this weekend, it was surely more then just lucky considering that Sara traveled with the Doctor and Donna let out a sigh glancing around her small flat, offering a thanks to the girl she only crossed paths with twice in silence.

Still, if she ever caught sight of that Doctor again, she would be sure to let him have a piece of her mind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Rose, just leave me alone." The Doctor didn't even turn to look at her when she stepped into the room. They were standing on red grass, overlooking a holographic depiction of Gallifrey.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

He sighed and looked back at the human. "I always know it's you." He turned back to look down the hill towards a grove of silver leafed trees. "Did you need something?" he asked after another minute.

"No. But you do, yeah?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need a minute to my..."

"Don't lie," said Rose. She could feel his heartache. She could feel how sorry he was. She could feel he was suffering.

The Doctor swallowed. He was quiet. And so was Rose. Neither one spoke for a long time. "This was my home," he finally broke the silence. "Not just my planet. I went to school over there. He pointed to the city far off in the distance. But this place, those trees down there, that's where I felt most at home." He glanced a look at her. Rose was watching how the mirror-like leaves reflected the suns light in the breeze. "The Mast... I used to have this friend, this... this good friend of mine. We would sneak out of the academy, which was no small feat mind you, and we'd run the full length of the valley to get to those trees." The Doctor laughed. "Sometimes it would take days," he grinned, "days for them to find us. And no matter what they made us do for punishment, the first chance we got, we came right back here." Rose looked over at him. Even though his words and voice were jovial, she sensed his grief. He was grieving.

"I'm sorry."

The Doctor's facade cracked. He couldn't hide anything from Rose. "I thought I was helping," admitted the Doctor. "I ran away from Gallifrey just like I ran from the academy. I loved exploring those trees like I love exploring time. But then I find out..." He swallowed. "I find out how much I'm hurting people, how much I'm..." He stopped talking. He turned to look at his wife. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. "When I touched your mind, when I..." He took a deep breath. "When I went deeper, did I hurt you?" He scanned her face intently, looking for any kind of reaction.

Rose could feel his worry. He cared so much. "'M fine," she answered. "Telepathy was like... 's different, yeah. I was a bit scared at first." She could feel how important this was to him, how much this meant to him. "But 'm fine."

"Sara and Lilly..." He closed his eyes. "I'm just another monster," he added. "I'm just another..."

"No," Rose cut him off with a soft voice. "'S wasn't a monster who I watched risk his life to save that boy from being hit by a car, yeah?" She was referring to Luc, Sara Jane's son. "It wasn't a monster who stood up against his own people at the Naismith's mansion, or who nearly died trying to rescue Lilly from the Master. And it certainly wasn't a monster who..."

"Destroyed your universe?" Rose was caught off guard. She hadn't expected that.

"I killed everyone you've ever known, everyone you've ever loved. I killed your mum. Your boyfriend. I..."

"You saved Mickey," she countered. "Mickey Smith and his wife. You saved them from that San... Sana... Sanat..."

"Sontaran."

"Yeah. You saved him." She held up her hand to cut him off before he could start to argue. "An I know he was a different Mickey. But I was there, Doctor. I felt what you were going through. You cared about them both. You even cared about the San... the guy who was going to kill 'em. A monster doesn't do that. He doesn't care. But 's more than that, yeah? A lesser man would just do what he wants. An' if he finds out he's makin' a mistake, he'd tried to cover it up. But you don't. As soon as you found out you were going to regenerate... Is that the right word?"

The Doctor nodded.

"As soon as you found out you were going to regenerate into a lunatic, you changed what you were doin'. You admitted you were wrong. An' you've done everything you can to fix your mistakes. Besides, you didn't destroy my universe. The other Doctor explained it to me. It wasn't you. It was the Valeyard. Same thing goes with how you were takin' care of Sara. You were tryin' to help her. An' you were tryin' to keep the universe safe too. Don't get me wrong, you were a complete arse."

The Doctor was surprised "But as soon as you realized, you changed. That's not a monster."

"You have no idea the things I've done, Rose. You don't know me," He frowned, trying to hold back his emotions.

"I know you," answered Rose. "Probably better than anyone else," she said to herself. "And it doesn't matter what you've done, 'cause I know you did the best you could. Whatever it was you did your best."

Rose looked over at the Doctor. His eyes were closed, and she watched a tear trickled down one side of his face. She moved to wipe away his tear with her thumb, and stopped. He opened his eyes, and looked at her.

"Don't," he said softly. "Don't touch me. I can't... I can't go through siiritre again. It hurts. And if you touch me..."

"You'll stop suffering."

"And you'll suffer instead," said the Doctor. "You weren't meant to be bonded. You're only... You're human."

"But you want this," said Rose. "I can feel it. I can feel you needing it, needing me."

The Doctor looked back and forth between Rose's eyes. "Maybe I could see if the other Doctor could strengthen the blocks in your mind for you."

"I miss you," admitted Rose. "I need..."

"It's been nearly four weeks since the blocks were put in place. You're starting to feel my absence as if we'd been separated by time and distance. It's not you that wants to touch me, Rose. It's the bond driving your instincts, forcing you to be with me."

"No." Rose thought for a minute. "It's not. It's not that." She brought her hand down for a moment, then reached back up and wiped his tear track away. Her hand was covered with her sleeve. "I've gotten to know you."

"Gotten to know me."

"I'm with you all the time," she said, looking into his eyes. "Yeah. Well, I think the other Doctor has been manipulating that."

"An' I feel what you feel whenever you're face with something, yeah? I know what you mean about the bond pulling us together. I feel that too, but 's... 's isn't like that. 'S is like. I dunno." She looked shyly at the red grass. "I guess... I... I like you. I really like you. A lot." She nervously glanced back up at the Doctor's face before letting her eyes land back on the grass. His face had been blank, and she was sensing nothing through their bond.

"Rose Tyler."

She looked back up to meet his eyes, instantly flooded with the feeling of the Doctor's shock giving way to giddiness.

"You like me," said the Doctor. He was smiling.

"Yeah." She inhaled. "Yeah, I do."

His smile turned into a cheesy grin. And his emotions soared. One point two million responses including other languages ran through his mind before he answered her. Even though there was no count down to how long they had to talk to each other, even though he knew this Rose was going to be able to live a long, long time, he didn't waste even a second before giving his response. He didn't dare risk losing this moment. And he didn't pick something lame like, 'Quite right too.' He'd made that mistake before. Instead, the Doctor simply looked his wife in the eyes, and told her, "I like you a lot too." He nodded. "Well, more than a lot actually."

"Maybe..." Rose cut him off before he could start rambling. "Maybe we could go out. Like. Like a proper date?" Ten continued to grin like the cat who got the cream. "I... I mean. If you want. If Time Lords do that sort of thing." With more and more access to the Doctor's mind and memories, with seeing him save person after person, and after seeing how many people knew, loved, and appreciated what he did, she'd started to care about him. Add to that she could feel his emotions, and knew how much he cared, Rose was falling for him. No. Not was falling. Had fallen. Rose had fallen for him. She just didn't know it yet.

"Oh, we definitely do that sort of thing. Rose Tyler," he paused. "It would be my honor to court you." She smiled at him. Careful to keep his hands where they wouldn't touch skin, he reached out and pulled Rose into a hug. She hugged him back. "No more singing 'Found a Peanut' though," he commented.

Rose laughed, and pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Oh, I don't know," she teased. "'S a really good song, yeah?"

"No," Ten shook his head. "No no no no no."

Rose laughed again, and the Doctor wrapped his arms around his wife a little tighter. She rested her head on his chest, and listened to the sound of his double hearts beating. But even as the Doctor stood holding his whole world in his arms, his smile slipped. He'd still hurt Lilly. And he'd still hurt his puerile. They didn't deserve what they'd suffered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The ninth Doctor stood in the doorway. He'd finally found Ten, and was relieved to see the man wasn't alone. He saw the distress on the Time Lord's face. But when he noticed Rose was there with him, hugging him, Nine silently backed away, giving them their space. He didn't want to ruin their moment. And he knew Ten would be all right with Rose. Nine headed back to the console room. He needed to address some damage control with their wards.

When he reentered the console room, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he'd just missed something. The air felt crisp. It felt like the echo left behind by a Time Lord's presence or an altered time line. Nine quickly moved to the console, and began checking data. Nothing. What was it? He sniffed the air. The strange time sense was fading, growing distant. Then it was gone.

"Oi," Nine called the attention of his time sensitive wards. "You two sense anything... anything off."

"No," answered Sara. Lilly shook her head.

Nine looked at the girls for a moment.

"How's Ten," asked Sara.

Nine raised his eyebrows. Ten. He'd never get used to that. To him the other man was just the other Doctor. He wasn't Ten even if the girls were referring to them by their regenerations. The other Doctor wasn't the tenth. He was the eleventh. But apparently, even the girls didn't acknowledge his warrior regeneration.

"Doctor's not half upset," answered Nine. Sara got up from the door and walked over to the Doctor. "I didn't mean to make him feel bad."

"Sara, what he showed me. Pretty awful, that." He looked at his ward. "Was all of it that bad? Every time?"

Sara was quiet while she honestly thought about it. She went through each incident, remembering how the invasion felt. "There was one time," she said, thinking of when he'd asked her to let him save her life. "He asked. And... and he was gentle. Patient. That time was all right. It didn't even hurt."

"Think he needs to know that. Guarantee right now, he thinks he's a monster. Probably thinks he deserves..." Nine stopped explaining. He just looked at Sara. "What do you think he deserves?"

Sara inhaled a deep breath. She looked at Nine with a soft smile. "Second chances," she said. "He deserves second chances." And with that, she left the console room in search of Ten.

Nine looked over at Lilly. She was still watching the stars with her feet dangling out of the doorway. He'd been surprised when he found out she didn't like to watch TV, but she could watch the stars for hours. Maybe it had something to do with her believing reality came from a TV show. He moved quickly and sat down next to his human.

"Anything interesting on?" he asked. She didn't banter with him. "I'm sorry I made you mad." Lilly got right to the point. "Shouldn't have run off."

"I didn't realize UNIT was as bad as Torchwood."

"Torchwood?"

"It used to be an agency like UNIT. I had a little trouble with them back in your universe."

The Doctor noticed Lilly said 'your' universe instead of 'our' universe. At least she was being more honest.

"They wanted to know all about you," she went on. "I think they wanted to capture you." Nine was surprised. "But no matter what, I wouldn't tell them anything important. Just told them fluff."

Realization started trickling through Nine's mind. He remembered how Gwyneth back in Cardiff 1869 said Torchwood was still after Lilly. The damage to Lilly's body along with the vortex manipulator started making sense. He'd thought she'd been tortured. She'd had bruising on her wrists and ankles consistent with being bound. It looked like she'd been electrocuted. There was that burn on her arm, the change to her body's system, and she'd been shot. Maybe Torchwood was where she'd received all the abuse from.

"Did Torchwood capture you after you used your friends vortex manipulator to try to stop that paradox?"

She swallowed. Her bottom lip quivered into a frown at the memory. "I thought I was going to die," she said. Lilly sounded like she was about to cry. "When they were finished..." She inhaled and cleared her throat. It was hard to say it. "When Torchwood was finished getting all the information they could, I thought they were going to kill me." She looked over at Nine, tears in her eyes. "We'd only just met. But they had all these records of us traveling together like we'd been together for years. They knew who I was, and that I knew stuff. And they were going to... because I knew you."

"An' you never said."

"Paradoxes. You said you felt a huge paradox on Platform One. You said it had something to do with me. I couldn't... I wouldn't risk it."

Nine nodded in understanding.

"Torchwood said you were dangerous, evil. I told them I knew they were lying. Jack, the Face of Boe. You saw him. On Platform One. You saw him. He would have been your future companion. Your future was his past. He said you were dangerous. He said you were just the product of your society. And he said Time Lords were basically the scum of the universe. I told him he was wrong. Maybe other Time Lords, Rassilon, the Master, the Rani, maybe they were cruel, but not you. You were the Doctor. And the Doctor wasn't like that."

Nine was surprised she mentioned the names of other Time Lords, but waited patiently. This was the most Lilly had ever talked, and he wasn't about to interrupt her.

"I met this man from the future. Ianto Boeman. He called me a Time Lord slave. He warned me. He said not to travel with you. He said if I didn't get away from you as soon as possible, I never would be able to leave. He said you were my master, that you owned me or something. He said by Time Lord law I was yours. I actually shouted at him." She glanced over at Nine.

He was watching her intently. "Can you imagine?" she asked as she looked back out at the stars. "Me? Shouting at a stranger?" Lilly pressed her lips together, and swallowed back her emotions. It had been a difficult six weeks since she'd been thrown into this universe.

"Every time someone said something about you, every time they said..." She looked at Nine. "I defended you, believed in you. Even when you almost did that final action, I forgave you, trusted you. But then you..." Her voice broke, and she closed her mouth. "You wouldn't even let me know your name. You... You asked him..." She took another deep breath. "Him. You asked HIM to take it from me. You asked _**him **_to touch me, touch my mind." Lilly brought her hands up to cover her temples like she was shielding something private. "You let him crawl inside of me, my... my thoughts. And you made it clear I didn't have a choice." She looked out at the stars. "How could I stay after that?"

Nine was silent for a long time. He was looking out at the stars too. "Take it the other Doctor did something to you when you were on his ship then." He remembered what Ten said to Lilly just before he'd run out of the console room, and was gaging Lilly's reactions now.

Lilly tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She nodded.

"Should have told me," said Nine.

"Couldn't," she choked out.

"Would never have let him touch you, if I knew." After several long minutes, Nine spoke again. "Need you to understand something, me. So, listen up."

Lilly looked over at the Time Lord, a little surprised by his gruff attitude. "Your friend, Jack, he said not to show me your iPod. Correct?"

"Yeah."

"Said it would destroy the universe. Correct?"

"Mmhm."

"If I kept your iPod after I found it, would you have demanded it back?"

"Yeah."

"Would me sayin' "no" be an option?"

"I... I guess not."

"My name's like that." He looked over at his ward, making sure she understood. "'S dangerous. Dangerous enough could destroy the universe. An' leaving it in the mind of someone I barely know would be really thick." The Doctor took a deep breath. "You sayin' "no" wasn't an option. Still isn't. But if I had known what you weren't sayin', I would have handled it differently." He glanced at the moon hanging in the distance. "Told you to tell me when you needed something. Told you to get my attention when I didn't notice what needed noticing. Not all-knowing, me. Bit thick sometimes, truth be told. So, if you don't tell me what I need to know, chances are I won't know it."

Lilly opened her mouth to speak.

"Just shut up a minute. Not done yet." The Doctor cut her off. "Not telling me what might have caused a paradox was fine, right smart that. Well done. But expecting me to know, understand, or act on information I didn't have doesn't make sense. Sorry about Torchwood. Know what they did to you. Saw the scans. Sorry about UNIT too. You didn't deserve that. Don't know what I would have done to give my future companion, Jack, such a low opinion of me. But I'm sorry it caused you some trouble. An' as far as Ianto Boeman, thank you for defending my name."

Lilly was surprised. "What the other Doctor did..."

"I know he was just going through a rough patch," started Lilly. "He... he just lost everyone he loved all at once, again. I understand that. He needed..."

"A right good kick in the pants," said Nine.

The Doctor's ward stared at him in surprise.

"Should have behaved better. Rough patch or no. But he didn't know how uncomfortable his telepathic touch was for you. If he did, he would have done something different too. He's not half upset about it. Sorry 'bout that, me. Really sorry."

"He was trying to take back his name."

"Explains a lot." Nine frowned. He looked over at the girl next to him. Suddenly, he jumped up and ran to the console. "Enough chin waggin'," he said. "Should do something fun." The Doctor flipped a switch, and pushed a series of buttons. Lilly waited. Nothing happened. The Doctor ran back over to where she was sitting... and stepped through the door into open space.

"Doctor!" Lilly reached for him, but Nine was standing on... on... on nothing?

The Doctor stood on an invisible floor as solid as any other. He extended his hand toward Lilly. "Come with me."

Lilly got to her feet, but stayed inside the TARDIS, watching the Doctor. She held tight to the door frame.

"Could stand in there all day. Or you could come with me. Have some fun." His hand was still extended. "Trust me."

Lilly hesitated. She looked all around the alien. She looked at his feet, and began testing the invisible floor with her toe. There was nothing there, nothing to support her.

"Trust me," said the Doctor again, slowly this time. He extended his hand a little more. She reached for him, and he pulled her closer. While the Doctor seemed to be standing on something solid, Lilly was floating in the vast emptiness of space with only his hand as her anchor. She scrambled to grab hold of him, so she wouldn't float away. "It's alright. You're safe. Got you." His grip was firm.

When she relaxed enough, the Gallifreyan began walking around the TARDIS. Lilly felt like she was flying, floating in an eternal starscape. The view was spectacular. It was amazing.

"See, Lilly Brooks." Nine caught her gaze. "Travelin's not all bad. Could make it a good life. What do you think? Could learn to like travelin'. See new things. Meet new people. Learn all 'bout time and that sense of yours."

"There really isn't a choice, is there?" asked Lilly, pinning him down.

"Sorry, 'fraid not." He pulled his ward a little closer. "But could choose to like it. Choose to enjoy it. Choose to be happy. Maybe someday might even give you my name." The Doctor watched his ward intently, hoping his offered temptation would make this easier on her.

Lilly shook her head. "Your name?"

"Might do. 'S possible. Not likely. But possible."

"If I really wanted to know your name, why wouldn't I just use my super time sense to learn it?" she teased him.

"Can't do. Even for you. It's blocked, hidden. Even Rose can't pull that from the other Doctor's mind. It's protected." Nine looked at Lilly. "You said time sense. You didn't say you could get it from 'Doctor Who.'"

"I was teasing. I'm not time sensitive. And I won't pretend anymore, so don't ask."

"Fair enough. Rather you were honest anyway. Better chance we could be friends."

Lilly took a deep breath. She sighed. He was right. There really wasn't a choice. She had to stay with the Doctors. The only decision to be made was whether she chose to be miserable or find things to be grateful for. She looked over at the alien holding her hand. She was still a little frustrated with him. It was hard he wouldn't believe her when she explained 'Doctor Who,' but she could understand why he'd done what he did. There friendship had taken quite the blow. But maybe rebuilding it on a more honest footing would make it stronger, better than before.

"Ok, Theta Sigma." Lilly smiled, knowing she'd just thrown Nine on edge by using his old academy nickname. "Honesty builds better friendships. But you can't get after me when I'm being honest with you. If you don't believe me..."

"Can agree to disagree." Nine was stunned she knew his old nickname. Maybe his real name wasn't safe. Maybe she could just use her time sense to learn it. Not thirty seconds into their new friendship, and he was already stressed. _Blimey_. _This human'll be the death of me._

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara meandered down the corridors, looking for Ten. She remembered his expression when he fled the console room looking horrified at her experience with his mental touch. _I didn't mean…didn't mean for him… _She wasn't sure what she meant but she hadn't been prepared for him to touch her at that moment when her mind was reliving the experiences perpetrated by the Time Lord Victorious. _Now they are almost two different people. _She could barely tell the resemblance between the two anymore and she was sensing that strongly before, even if she couldn't admit it to herself when she was rendered telepathically deaf.

The hallways of the TARDIS were lengthy and Sara sighed impatiently pondering how she would find Ten if he truly wished to be alone. Would he even want to see her or listen to what she had to say? Would he believe her? _If I could at least feel anything… _She started to think about the bond and then her eyes widened as she sensed the faintest trickle of emotion. It certainly wasn't of the same scope before she was rendered deaf but she felt the bare edges of regret. Distinct remorse. It wasn't coming from her and Sara tried to focus because in contrast to the events prior to the bridge, it was the barest glimpse of a whisper. But a whisper was better then nothing at all since Sara knew from what Ten had said previously, she might have to be resigned to the fact that her telepathy would never been regained. _But how?_

Then she thought of the locket and how she absorbed some of the particles into her skin before the rest drifted into space. At least Nine didn't find out because regardless of how much she respected him, she didn't relish being questioned or submitted to further testing while having the last article of her dimension possibly taken from her. With Lilly, she knew how to keep a secret and this would just have to remain between them. Sara had been holding her breath the entire time when Nine seemed to sense the change in the room, only to release it slowly as he ruled out that significant alteration had taken place. _Nothing much gets by him. _She thought.

Finally, she located Ten standing in a virtual depiction of what appeared to be Gallifrey as she had witnessed previously herself only this time not marred by the Time War, which had caused her to flee outside the TARDIS in panic. A city formed underneath a red sky with matching tones in the blades of grass with crystal and stone building that stood prominently against the heavens.

Rose was quietly leaving offering her a smile as the blond walked down the corridor and Sara took a deep breath before stepping in.

"There's something you don't see every day." Sara said to Ten almost inaudibly. Nevertheless, he heard her, turning to look at his puerile with a look of sadness and regret that tinged his expression.

"Before the Time War." He replied. "Things were simpler. It used to be…" He paused and shrugged. "Used to be fun."

Sara knew that traveling for the Doctor was enjoyable and that he likely spent centuries preparing in the Time Lord Academy but in looking upon this lost world she realized how little she actually knew of the family he had bonded her into.

"Is that where you grew up?" She asked referring to the city. "Your home?" Sara thought back to when she had woken up from the coma. "You said the House of…" She paused in consternation.

"The House of Lungbarrow." He finished and the scene shifted suddenly. "Not in the city but in the southern mountain range on Gallifrey, with a beautiful view of the Cadonflood River." Sara looked in awe at the soaring vistas, met by the calmly lapping waves breaking on the surface near the house's exterior built into the surface of the gently rolling hills.

"It's beautiful." She shook her head correcting herself. "It must have been beautiful. I wish I could of seen it but…" Her voice faded as she considered what the Time Lords became, what the war had turned them into and all that was left, well, everything that remained now was the journey forward since the truth about Gallifrey would have to remain hidden for now.

"If I could take you, I would." Ten sighed. "You're family and every puerile should know their own house." He grimaced. "Can't even give you that." He was muttering quietly to himself.

"If you can bring up images of Gallifrey here, can you do the same with my home?" Sara asked.

Ten looked at her carefully knowing from any standpoint, she barely had any time to grieve her lost dimension before being readily traumatized by him and the decisions he made for her. The feelings of helplessness she endured every time he entered her mind ran through his and it set his teeth on edge. _How could I've done that? To Lilly? To Reinette? To Donna? _He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from trembling in disgust. _To my own puerile. She was my responsibility and all those times… _

He took a deep breath of air, closing his eyes and he was surprised as the images changed around him to see a vastly different city. One on earth, which appeared close to the ocean and Sara, was viewing the image with an expression of simple nostalgia on her face as she glanced back at him. "I asked the TARDIS." She explained. "You showed me your home, it's only fair I show you mine." She had taken matters into her own hands not waiting for his permission and he allowed himself to chuckle briefly at her determination.

"Sara, I'm sorry. Should of asked you before." He said, knowing he never thought to ask her about her home, only dismissing that bringing up images from her life would be too painful. "Soooo, this is where you lived?"

She frowned. "No, just Pike's Market where Jessica and I used to come every weekend. We'd buy fish, vegetables, flowers and a whole lot of fruit. Especially during the summer. My favorite was nectarines." She offered him a sad little smile. "Don't see them much here and I never liked apples…" Her voice trailed thinking of the Valeyard with a shiver. "It rained most of the time but my mother taught me to like the storms and I guess I never really minded. Thought it was beautiful too." She drew in a shaky breath. "But I can't really see my home. Not in the database on the TARDIS." She gave a lingering pause. "You helped me see a bit of it before in my mind." She was referring directly to the mind parasites.

"Sara, what I did to you, what I forced on you all those times," The look of horror was still firmly engrained on his face. ", It shouldn't be ignored or forgotten. I felt it your pain each time it happened so how can you forgive all that?"

Sara trembled inwardly remembering her feelings that fateful day when she nearly jumped off the bridge in Scotland. "You saved my life and showed me you weren't just keeping me alive for Rose. Before that, I didn't even think what taking my own life could really mean but now…" The vision Ten had given her where she had seen him grieve had been heart breaking and she knew it was genuine having truly felt it through the bond.

"But now?" He asked.

"Killing myself wasn't the answer." She told him. "I should of listened. Shouldn't have been so angry."

"Can't really blame you for that." He reflected on how trapped she must have felt. "After all that I did…"

"You went into my mind to save my life the very first time. I know that now." She said thinking on what Nine expressed.

He grimaced remembering the somatoforms and how he asked Christina to help restrain Sara so he could try to accomplish the task. "Maybe I should of asked your consent the first time." Ten muttered knowing the pain his puerile suffered at his hands.

"You can ask me now." Sara told him simply which caused Ten to look at her with a startled expression.

"What?"

She took a deep breath trying to put into words her experience but knowing she would fail miserably. "I know you asked to go into my mind when you couldn't by force and I asked for your help," She lifted a hand to her head, "it felt right. Almost whole? Almost like the bond except I can't feel you now so maybe…" She tried to steady herself. "Maybe just for a while, it can be like that. I can feel you again. You can see who I am, who I was..." Sara knew the emptiness she felt without the bond in place and remembering the time of unity she felt, she conveyed the strength of those emotions to Ten.

"You actually want me to go inside your mind?" There was hesitation in his tone but Sara could nearly sense the edges of wonder. _It's about second chances._ She knew they both needed this in order for both Ten and herself to move forward. He wasn't the Time Lord Victorious or the Valeyard and it was time she accepted him as who he was. The Doctor. Also something new that Nine had told her previously. A start of a family.

"Yes. Maybe it can be like it was before you found out I stole your name." Sara bit her lip in reflection of her last statement. It had simply slipped out. "Sorry."

He took her shoulders gently. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're not a thief?" He paused looking deep into his puerile's eyes. "Are you absolutely sure?" Ten asked, amazed by Sara's request yet at the same time he understood through the depth of her emotions. He could feel her loneliness, the emptiness from her telepathic disconnect. When she conferred upon him her feelings of the memories during the time he entered her mind to extricate the parasites, it gave him a small measure of relief that not all their encounters were associated with that of pain and helplessness. She was his child now and now longed for the telepathic connection children on Gallifrey naturally yearned for, that any father would provide. It was instinctual between the parent and their puerile and he could feel that quite distinctly within Sara. He however knew he had to be cautious after Sara's past ordeal with him and she had his name. He needed to be absolutely certain he had her permission first.

She nodded looking at him unwaveringly. "I trust you." She said simply, taking a deep breath once more to compose herself.

He sensed the truth in those words as he slowly raised his fingers, placing them gently on her temples. He could feel her nervousness, and hesitated. The Doctor looked into Sara's eyes. She was waiting for him. He began pressing himself into her mind. Sara inhaled at the contact. Ten dropped his hands, and stepped back.

"Wh...?"

"I can't," said Ten. "I can't do that to you again." Sara frowned. Ten was hit with her feelings of hurt and rejection. "No, Sara. It's not like th..."

"No, it's fine. I get it," Sara cut him off. "I never should have asked. It's just..." Tears came to the twenty-four year old's eyes. She tried to swallow back the lump in her throat. "It's just so quiet," she whispered, trying to explain. "In my head." She touched her temple. "It's so... empty. I can't even hear my own thoughts anymore. I used to sing to myself... or asked myself which choice to make... or just make little internal comments about stuff I saw. But it's gone. I'm gone." She took a breath. "It's like I was blind my whole life. And then one day I could see. But I was so busy being angry, I didn't appreciate the gift. And now it's gone. But I didn't just lose my sight. I lost most of my hearing too. I... I feel wrong all the time." She began rubbing her arms. "Like I'm trapped in my own skin. Cut off. Like I can't breathe. Like I'm stuck in a tiny box and I can't move. Then Nine asked if the telepathy was all bad. And I realized it wasn't. And I thought you could help. And I..." Tears started down her cheeks as she started to ramble. "I can't feel anything anymore!" Sara covered her face with her hands. "It's my fault! I did this! I chose this! I never should have thought suicide would... I feel so numb. I..." Sara felt Ten's arms wrap gently around her. She melted into his shoulder, and cried.

"Sh sh sh. I've got you." He pulled her in closer, and Sara felt his fingers caress one temple softly. She inhaled as she felt him begin to press himself into her mind. "I'm here." She heard him vocally as well as mentally. Instantly, she clung to him like he was all there was between her and drowning. "It'll be alright, Sara. We'll figure this out. I promise." Ten began to move deeper into his puerile's mind.

She could feel the Time Lord, her father. Was that the right word? Tabritar. The Gallifreyan word came into Sara's mind from the TARDIS. She could feel her tabritar moving deeper, and she welcomed him. It felt so good not to be alone anymore. Ten began caressing her thoughts, her worries, like a parent caressing a child's back, soothing her. He sent comforting emotions to her, and she felt them. She felt them more clearly than she'd been able to feel anything since that day on the bridge, and she cried harder at the sensation. She'd never take being able to feel for granted ever again.

When Sara's crying finally slowed, the Doctor felt her relax. She leaned heavily against him, and he slowly began to move deeper into her mind. Moving through Sara's cognitive processes had always been resisted before, but now the Doctor felt so welcomed it was overwhelming. She was thirsty for his mind. And like any parent, he would never deny his child a drink of water. He filled her close comforting mind with his, enjoying her as he moved within her thoughts, quenching her thirsty parched mind as he went. She felt better than the most loving toddler's hug. She felt better than holding a newly loomed babe for the first time. She was his puerile, and he knew it.

_Tabritar_. The word echoed through her mind, sending feelings of gratitude and acceptance to the Time Lord. The Doctor was instantly overcome with emotion. He kissed the top of Sara's head without breaking telepathic contact. Tears of joy slipped down his face. Never in all his dreams had he imagined he could ever have this again. Never in all his dreams had he imagined he wouldn't spend the rest of his life alone. But here he was enjoying the love of a puerile of his house. And she'd called him tabritar. That was more than an honor. She'd accepted him as her father, more than a father.

The Doctor continued his movements through her mind. And Sara continued to welcome him. Finally, the Gallifreyan was so deeply imbedded in the human; he recognized the scarring left behind by the telepathic surgery he'd performed previously. She was all around him, and he reveled in the sensation. This was the kind of telepathy reserved for only family. Just as before, the Doctor marveled at how it could be possible for him to be able to connect to her mind so completely. He marveled at her forgiveness and her love surrounding him. She felt like home, like time, like family, almost Time Lord. And he enjoyed feeling so connected.

"Is this alright," the Doctor double-checked vocally.

"Yes." Sara's eyes were closed. "Thank you." She sighed in relief. "I can feel."

_You can sing. If.. if you want_. The Doctor felt Sara's surprise, but instantly she started singing. The sound of her own inner voice sounded slightly off. That was because the Doctor was picking up on her song through their bond, and sending it back into her mind through their telepathic touch. But Sara didn't care. She could hear her own thoughts, her own inner monologue. And it was wonderful.

After several songs and a discussion on visualization, an image of Sara stood next to the Doctor over looking a view of Seattle. It was pristine. The air felt crisp and clean. Sara showed off the city in her mind, and the Doctor explored it with all the eagerness he had when exploring a new planet. She showed him the Space Needle, which was slightly different from the one the Doctor had visited in his dimension. She took him to Pikes Market, and they stood under an overhanging roof from one of the stalls to get out of the rain in her memory. It felt like they were really there.

"Reminds me of the Covent Gardens in London," said the Doctor, "except they don't sell smelly salmon there." He looked at Sara. "Could you tone down the smell?"

"How do I..."

"Just imagine it," he answered softly. Suddenly, all the salmon smelled like roses. Sara smiled. "Better?" she asked.

The Time Lords smirked at her. "Nice."

The rain stopped, and Sara looked over across the walkway to see herself and Jessica making their way through the market. The Doctor watched her watching her memory. He could feel all of her conflicting emotions flooding his system. She was excited, relieved, frustrated and grieving. Sara frowned.

"Do you want to explore a different memory?" he offered.

"That's Jessica." She nodded towards the girl walking with her past self. "My best friend for years." She looked up at her tabritar. "Can I... " She took a deep breath, and let it out. "Can I talk to her, interact."

"Wouldn't recommend it," warned Ten. "It's not uncommon to end up stuck reliving old memories. It's best to avoid living in a fantasy."

Sara moved a little closer, and watched as the girls shopped. They picked out a beautiful salmon for the party they were going to be throwing, and left.

The people in the market faded away, followed by the structures, and finally the scenery until the Doctor and Sara stood in a desolate landscape, mirroring Sara's emotions at her loss.

"You alright?" he asked.

She looked up at him, concern on his face.

"Yup." Sara nodded, but didn't smile. She cleared her throat. "Come on. I want to show you my family." Instantly, they were in Sara's childhood home. She picked up a nectarine from a fruit bowl on the counter, and tossed it to Ten. "Try that," she ordered.

He raised an eyebrow, but obeyed. Sara imagined the best nectarine she'd ever tasted, and Ten's face lit up.

"That," he started. "That is... Wow! No wonder you like nectarines." He took another bite. "They don't taste like that to me."

"Really?"

"I've had plenty of different mouths, but I've never tasted anything like this before."

Sara smiled, and the Doctor took another bite, licking some of the juice on his hand. When he'd finished, she offered him another.

"Nope," he said. "Thanks, but I don't want to get stuck living a fantasy." He nodded towards the fruit bowl. "And that... that is about as good as any fantasy."

Just then Sara's mother stormed into the kitchen, followed closely by Sara. They were obviously arguing. Sara wanted permission to go to a party, and her mother was saying no.

"We were always too much alike," explained Sara. "Usually, my dad would have to play peace maker." The memory shifted. Sara was about four years old, sitting on her dad's lap. He was reading her a story. The man used an excited animated voice. He was putting on quite the show. Four-year-old Sara was almost asleep.

Sara knelt down next to the big armchair her father was sitting in. Suddenly, the man stopped reading. He turned his face to where Sara was kneeling, and looked right through her.

"I love you, Sara. We always will," he told her.

Sara looked back behind her at the Doctor in surprise.

"Did you...?" started the Doctor, looking a little worried.

"No," answered Sara, completely bewildered. "I haven't done anything." She looked back at her dad. He had tears in his eyes.

"You remember you're not alone. You hear me, babygirl? We'll always be with you."

Tears rushed to Sara's eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. "Daddy?"

"We'll be watching from the other side, babygirl. Don't forget." A tear escaped Sara. Her father looked in the direction the Doctor stood.

"And tell that alien Doctor of yours, he'd better take good care of you," her father instructed, "or else I'll..."

"What're you going on about?" Sara's mother stood in the doorway.

"Just telling our adult Sara she'll be alright after we're gone," answered her father. Four-year-old Sara barely had her eyes open now.

"Oh, you and your psychic end of the universe stuff." Sara's mother shook her head, and smiled. She left the room, calling back over her shoulder. "Just don't let Sara hear you talk like that. You know she believes everything you say."

"You know I believe it. Twenty years. That's all we've got left." Her dad got up to carry Sara off to bed. Sara stood up when her mother came back in the room blocking his path. "Whatever," her mother countered. "The point is she shouldn't hear stuff like that."

"Tell her you love her," asked Sara's dad. "You won't get another chance."

"Don't be silly." Her mother looked up at her dad.

"Tell her how you feel right now, and I'll never mention the end of the universe around her ever again."

Sara's mother looked her husband in the eyes. "You're serious."

"Completely."

"Well, of course I love..." The memory faded away.

"What happened?!" Sara turned back to the Doctor. "Where..."

"I think," started the Doctor. "I think you fell asleep. The younger you not the you you. I think the memory ended because you fell asleep." Ten inhaled sharply through his nose. He put his hands in his pockets, and rocked back on his heals. "You're father was like you. That's... That's interesting."

Sara stood staring at where her parents had been only a second ago. Could that really have happened?

"You still alright?" asked the Doctor. He could feel her struggling with what she'd just seen.

"He knew," she said. "All this time. My whole life. And he knew."

"At least he got to say good-bye."

Sara closed her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore. This was too much. Ten laid his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon." He took her hand, and began leading her towards a door.

"Where are we going?"

"Home." The Doctor pushed open the door, and they stepped through onto a planet with a burnt orange sky. More than one moon decorated the sky like lace, and a second sun was just beginning to rise above the mountains in the distance. This is the House of Lungbarrow," announced the Doctor. "Your house, Sara. Your home. From one of my memories."

Sara turned to see a rich brown home built into the side of a mountain. They stood on a hill in a field of thick red grass spreading across the meadow like wheat looking down at the house. It was nothing like the pictures of Gallifrey. And the show didn't even come close to doing it justice. A breathtakingly bright green stream meandered past the home, and children were playing in the water. They watched as the fourth Doctor began crossing the bridge to the home. He wore his large coat and hat and was wrapped up in an enormous scarf.

When the children saw him, they began shouting in an alien language, and ran to greet him. The fourth Doctor grinned and them as they tackled him to the ground, laughing and squealing with joy. Four began tickling and rough housing with them. The children shrieked and played and tried to tickle him back. Several adults came running out of the house, shouting cries of excitement. Sara recognized the word "tabritar" amongst the alien shouts. Four stood up from the children, and ran towards the adults. He hugged them, and they clung to him, crying tears of joy.

"That's me," explained Ten, pointing to the man who'd lost his hat and scarf during the rough- housing. "Fourth regeneration."

"This is your family."

"Your family too, Sara. They were your cousins." The Doctor smiled a sad smile. "They would have loved to of known you."

Sara watched. When all the shrieking and crying calmed, Four touched each of them with two fingers to their temples. And they touched him back.

"Telepathic touch was as common on Gallifrey as shaking hands or giving a hug is on Earth," explained Ten when he felt Sara's question.

"How long," Sara started to ask. "How long since... since you've been touched?"

"Oh, I've had a time or two."

"How long?" Ten frowned. "Like this?" He nodded towards their family. "A few centuries."

Sara gasped inwardly. She couldn't imagine how lonely it would be to go so long without ever feeling another human's touch, no handshake, no pat on the back, no hug from a friend. Adding to that loneliness something far worse than the emptiness she'd experience with the loss of being able to feel Ten's mind in hers, it was a wonder the Doctor was still sane.

"Weeeell," Ten drew out the word, "I'm not gone yet. Well, if you don't count the Time Lord Victorious. S'pose that was a little insanity there."

Sara moved to stand in front of the Doctor. She raised two fingers on her right hand to his temples, mimicking what she'd just seen her cousins do.

"You can't," said the Doctor, sounding a little sad. "The human mind isn't..." Ten gasped when he felt the presence of Sara's mind pressing on the outskirts of his own. His hand shot up to hold her fingers in place. "Please don't stop," he begged. "Don't..." He started to cry. "Don't stop." Great giant tears slid down his face in the real world as well as the world inside their minds. It had been so long since he'd felt another's touch. Rose had let him touch her mind, but she hadn't touched his. Maybe she would someday. But she hadn't yet. Even Nine's felt like his own mind, like holding his own hand, or giving himself a hug. The white noise Nine provided was a comfort, but even he couldn't do this. Sara's touch was weak, gentle, like an infant wrapping her fist around his finger. But she was there. Her presence was unmistakable.

"It must be because of how deep I had to go to get you out of that catatonic state," said Ten. "We're... We're bonded deeper than a regular puerile bond." He closed his eyes. "It's not unheard of." He sniffed back his tears, frowning, but full of relief.

"I can't... I can't keep this up," warned Sara. "It's draining. I'm sorry. I..."

"No. Don't ever be sorry. Not for this." Ten breathed "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Sara let her hand slip away from her Gallifreyan father. "I think I need to lie down." She blinked, barely able to hold her eyes open. The visualized image of Sara disappeared. And the Sara in the real world collapsed in Ten's arms. She was asleep.

Ten began to slowly and carefully withdraw himself from her. She was such a treasure. And he didn't want to harm her human mind, so he moved extra slow. He walked back through the door leading to his memory, past the memories of her family, of Seattle. He was just about to leave the area where her memories were stored when he noticed it.

Almost all the conduits running through Sara's mind capable of receiving information through their link had been burned black. They were dead. A few very small ones were barely hanging on, but looked like they were permanently damaged. Against all odds amidst the wreckage left behind in Sara's mind was a long golden thread where a cable should have been. It looked like it was infused with artron energy. It was glowing, and it was alive, so alive. Ten carefully crouched next to it. This was what he had noticed.

"Hello," said the Doctor. "Where did you come from?" he asked the strand. He knew this tiny strand should have made it possible for Sara to feel him. He would only feel like a whisper, but she should be able to sense him. Very carefully Ten lifted the strand into place, replacing a larger burnt conduit. Reaching deep within himself he sent regeneration energy into the strand, hoping it would receive the gift. Instantly, the strand began to enlarge and connect with the other conduits throughout Sara. Energy began to surge through the lines. Ten smiled.

"You miracle child," he said. "How did you manage this?" He watched the city of synapses light up, and knew it was possible it could only be a matter of time before she could feel him again. Sara was self-healing. She still might never have the full sense of their bond, or it might take years to achieve, but eventually it would be enough. She wouldn't feel like she was suffocating in her own skin anymore. Eventually, she would be able to hear herself think. And in the meantime, Ten would train her. He would teach her how to use her mind. He would share his knowledge of math and science. He would teach her the names of the stars. And she would learn about time. Sara was his heir, his only heir. And nothing less was deserved by the member of the House of Lungbarrow who would one day inherit his TARDIS when he was gone.

The Doctor stepped away from the healing strand, and continued on his way, slowly leaving his daughter's mind. Maybe eventually he would allow her to marry, give his permission for bonding. Since humans didn't need a loom to have children, perhaps the House of Lungbarrow would continue through her. Ten smiled at the thought, but was instantly hit with all the worries of a father. What if she wanted to marry an undesirable? Or what if he didn't treat her right after they were married? The anger of the oncoming storm flared through his mind at the thought. He would never allow that. No one would hurt his Sara. Maybe he wouldn't allow a marriage, at least not before she was five hundred. She was still only a babe after all. What if she argued with him? What if... Ten shook his head. He knew there were many trials the House of Lungbarrow would have to face. Integrating what was socially acceptable between two species would take time. Rules for Time Lord behavior would have to be established for Sara. But not today. Today, the Time Lord would celebrate having a daughter, a puerile. Today, he would simply love her.

As the Doctor pulled himself out of Sara's inner mind, he didn't notice how the single strand he'd helped establish glowed with bright energy. It resembled the same energy he hadn't seen leave her locket. He didn't notice how the energy flared, spreading itself throughout her thoughts. And he didn't notice how it withdrew to settle behind a locked door in one of the many memory halls. He didn't notice the danger. No one noticed how Donna's part of the metacrisis found a new home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three girls sat in the control room waiting for Ten, while Nine worked on some maintenance below. Ten had asked everyone to meet him in the console room when they were finished with breakfast, but he'd refused to tell them why.

"What's he up to?" Sara called down to Nine.

"Find out soon enough," Nine answered.

Lilly frowned a little. "Are... are we... Did we do something wrong?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Maybe we're goin' somewhere," offered Rose. She could feel Ten's excitement, and he was getting closer.

The TARDIS doors opened with a creak, and all three girls looked up. Nine crawled out from under the grating, and watched Ten come in, carrying a box.

"Here we are then," said Ten, grinning. "Wha's this?" asked Rose. All three girls stood up.

"Call it an apology," answered Ten. He set the box down on the jump seat. "It's a gift to say how sorry I am... for everything." He looked at each girl, catching each set of eyes long enough to know he meant all of them. Nine leaned against the console, arms and ankles crossed. The girls didn't move. "I'm sorry." Ten waved his hand towards the gift. "Well, go on then."

As the girls turned to open the box, Nine came to stand next to Ten. "Still don't think it's a good idea," he told the man in pinstripes.

"Just..." He lifted his finger, keeping his eyes on the girls. "Just wait." Ten was grinning. The two Time Lords watched the girls lifting the top of the box. "Three, two, and..."

"Awwwwe!" The girls sounded in unison. "See," said Ten to Nine, smiling. "Natural human female nurturing instinct. They can't help it."

"Oh, he's so cute," said Lilly. "

"'S adorable," said Rose.

Sara reached into the box and pulled out the cutest ginger kitten any of the humans had ever seen. She held him against her chest, and nuzzled his head. "Absolutely precious." _Thank you. Thank you so much, _she thought to Ten_. _The Time Lord smiled. She knew he hated cats after dealing with the cat-nuns on New Earth. This was quite the gift.

"Not what I meant," added Nine quietly, so only Ten could hear. He was still voicing his concerns about taking the kitten onboard. Neither Time Lord took their eyes off the girls. "Cat's going to be nothin' but trouble. Makin' messes. Continuously eating. When it's not spendin' 81% of its short life sleepin', it'll be breaking the philodiameter or getting lost in the library. Get itself into trouble, an' constantly need rescuing. An' after all that, no matter how much we resist, it'll worm it's way into our hearts."

Ten turned and gave Nine a knowing look. "That," he said. "That was the perfect description..."

"of a companion," both Time Lords said together. They turned to stare wide-eyed at the girls for a moment before breaking into laughter. They laughed so hard the girls looked up at them. Their laughter calmed, but Nine kept grinning, and Ten kept giggling.

"Speaking of our next companion," said Ten between giggles, "S'pose we should go meet this Amelia Pond." He began flipping switches and dials. "Pond. Ponnnd. Ameeelia. Amelia Pond," Ten kept trying out her name. "I like it. It's like the name of a girl in a fairytale." Everyone bent their knees in quick adjustment at the movement of the time machine like they would to adjust to the momentum of an elevator starting its assent.

"We should name him Brigadier or Jamie or Rassilon or Castellon or Ian or someone else from 'Classic Who'," said Lilly, talking about the cat. The Doctors looked over at her with surprise. Just how much did she know?

"We could name him Captain Jack, or Mickey," said Sara. Both Doctors cringed. They both knew Mickey.

"Nah," said Rose. "We should name him tiger or tigger or..."

Suddenly, with a loud bong the TARDIS made, the kitten bolted from Sara's arms, and ran through the hole left open in the grating where Nine had been working.

"TROUBLE!" shouted Nine. He instantly tried to crawl in after the cat. "Its name is trouble!" He couldn't reach the animal.

Without warning something under the grating began sparking. Ten quickly looked at the monitor. "Trouble just introduced liquid into the dicarition tube." He jumped as the console sparked, and an alarm sounded.

Nine let out a stream of untranslated Gallifreyan words. "Language!" reminded Ten.

"I'll show you language, mate," Nine whispered under his breath. He still couldn't reach the kitten.

"Hurry up!" shouted Ten, while frantically adjusting dials on the console. "He's starting to effect the..."

"...philodiameter!" they said together, realizing the irony of the situation.

"Gotcha!" Nine pulled the kitten out from under the grating.

"Too late," warned Ten.

"The philodiameter's been compromised." Nine gave his counterpart a look.

"An' wha's that mean?" asked Rose, feeling her husband's emotions. Another round of sparks crackled through the console room, and suddenly the whole room was on fire. The TARDIS doors flew open to reveal they were in flight.

"Means," started Nine. "We're," continued Ten. "Crashing," they said together.

All three girls grabbed hold of whatever they could find. Rose and Sara gripped the jump seat. Lilly stood behind Rose, facing Sara, and holding onto the rail for dear life. The two "time sensitive" girls looked at each other, obviously a little worried. Lilly swallowed. Sara licked her lips. And in unison they said, "Geronimo?" as the TARDIS was sent crashing towards their future: Amelia Pond, Rory, River, the cracks in the universe, and... The Silence.

**A/N: This is our last chapter for a bit for we will be taking a hiatus on this story to work on our other stories for a time. Summer is a busy period. I will be researching possible storylines for where this story can go when we both have time to resume it so it's not over but we are just taking a break. So don't give up on it. We have some thoughts of where things should go. I won't put a complete on the story. Stay tuned on Reality and Lost in Time as those should now get better updates. If any of you have any suggestions or thoughts for possible story themes in the future, let us know. We get some of our best ideas from our reviewers. Thank you for reading this.**


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